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Ghostbusters: Daybreak Chapter 3 (Smoke Signals) Written by Leo_Todrius Commissioned by Draegon1993

There was something timeless, something ephemeral about being awake before anyone else... before dawn had risen, before the day was day. The bedroom was silent, save for the sound of breathing. The dark brown walls seemed almost black, but gauzy translucent curtains hung down over the bay window, letting the earliest rays of light wash over the bed that made up the interior of the bay window.

Miguel laid on the bed, his black and blue hair messy, his eyes half lidded as he looked out through the curtains. Pink light danced even in the early dawn sky, the influx of supernatural energy pervading the west coast. Still, so early, so quiet, the problems seemed muted compared to the issue weighing on Miguel's mind.

The teenager rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling, then the wall where hand carved wooden masks had been hung, depicting artistic renditions of the moon, the stars, the planets with human proportions. It was a beautiful room, fantastic and comfortable... except it wasn't really his. Miguel pulled his arms to his chest almost protectively as he rolled onto his other side and looked across the room.

Settled in an extra long twin bed, dazing comfortably and deeply, was Angel, the rightful occupant of the bedroom. Miguel sighed gently. He knew he was crazy for worrying. Angel and his mother had been kind enough to take him in, to make him feel like this home was his home. They'd been nothing but caring and kind, and offering shelter when everything he knew about his life had evaporated. But he still... didn't quite belong. Not completely.

Being awake, Miguel heard the soft sound of rubber tires on the gritty cement outside. He rolled back and pulled the curtains back with his fingers, seeing two glossy black cars roll up, their yellow license plates declaring them public vehicles. A woman and two men with suits got out and started moving up the sidewalk.

Miguel's heart raced. He slipped out of bed and grabbed an old black hoodie from the floor, tugging it on before he snatched a pair of black basketball shorts from the drawer. He slipped across barefoot to the door of the room, moving out and down the stairs, coming to the landing at the front door. He reached out, bleary eyed to open the door just before the woman knocked. An eyebrow arched up over the edge of the glasses.

"Miguel Hernandez?" The woman asked.

"Is this about my father? Has something happened to him?" Miguel asked. The woman looked a little stunned.

"N-no, not that... I'm aware of. My name is Isabelle Martin; I'm a representative of the Oregon Commission on Ghosts. We need to talk with you, Angel Allen, and a legal guardian." she said. Miguel's heart sank.

"Miguel... Who is that? Who are you talking to?!" The voice came from upstairs, the voice of Angel's mother.

"May I ask what this is regarding?" Miguel asked, trying to buy himself a little time.

"The short of it is... we are here to issue a cease and desist order regarding all Ghostbusting activities." Isabelle stated.

"Ghost...busting?" Angel's mother asked from the top of the stairs, "ANGEL PERCY ALLEN, Get out here right now!" She bellowed. Miguel's shoulders fell even further.

****

The black cars were pulling away from the curb, but the voices of Nine's parents were still murmuring as Nine excused himself to his room. He'd already been given the cease and desist letter, he'd already been grounded, and the internet router had been turned off to ensure he had no access to it. Nine closed the door to his bedroom, leaning back against it, his head downcast.

It took a few minutes of heavy breathing, his heart racing, even a tear or two rolling down his cheek before he opened his eyes again, looking at the dark blue walls of his bedroom, his Ghostbusters poster taped up on the wall, the shirt draped on the back of his computer chair. Nine moved away from the door, pulling out his phone, opening up the codex lock.

At first the lock had been a precaution, keeping anyone and anything out of the firehouse while the original Portland Ghostbusters were missing. It had been such a flawless system that it only made sense to use it when the boys weren't there. The screen showed the orange and yellow spinning rings, showing that the lock was active and the firehouse protected. At least OCOG couldn't get their stuff... but neither could they.

Nine fell onto his bed, landing in a heap of blankets. It was too early to feel this miserable... He wouldn't have even gotten up that early to get ready for school. On the plus side, he still had a little while to mope before he had to start getting dressed. If he was lucky, he could really push his luck and mope a little extra.

****

The Pioneer High School library was generally a place of half-awake hanging out, of catching up on smartphones, swapping stories, planning activities. Today... was a different sort of day. Nine moved through the archway, past the kiosk, coming up to one of the four tables, the table that Angel was already sitting at. Nine slumped down in his chair, dropping his backpack to the floor next to him.

"So they got to you too?" Nine asked. Angel nodded.

"The sun wasn't even up." Angel murmured, "I needed my beauty sleep." he said, closing his eyes, reaching up to rub his face. Nine tilted his head, hearing Spanish on the other side of one of the bookshelves.

"Is that Miguel?" Nine asked.

"He's on the phone with the lawyer that represented his father." Angel said. Nine grimaced at that.

"His dad got sent to jail..." Nine replied.

"Yeah, but he actually committed the crime." Angel replied.

"So did we... We operated nuclear equipment not licensed to us, and caused serious damage to a natural history museum." Nine said.

"Yes... and trapped three very dangerous class six feline spirits in the process." Angel replied. Nine shook his head.

"This sucks. First Rerun disappears, then we get caught by the feds... What else could go wrong?" Nine asked.

"Hey, maybe... Maybe we jumped in too deep." Angel replied, "We're just kids."

"We're eighteen. We're about to graduate into a world overrun with the supernatural, where hundreds of Ghostbusters disappeared..." Nine said. Angel shook his head, grabbing his bag as he stood up.

"Maybe you're proving my point. I don't want to disappear. I just need some time to think." Angel said as he left the library, moving out into the hall. Nine looked at him go and then down at the floor. Had he been that foolish? Had he gotten his friends into a problem that had almost swallowed them up? Nine looked back at the bookshelf, listening to Miguel's Spanish, knowing that at least he was passionate, that he was trying... It was more than he could do at the moment.

****

Angel moved down the hallway, his dreads clattering against the back of his backpack. He was angry... Pissed off, confused. None of it was sitting right, and the idea of facing social studies made him want to gouge out his eyes. He glanced up the hallway, spotting just the right, or wrong sort of person for when he was in that sort of mood. The senior was leaning against a locker, his six foot two inch frame towering over the others around him. His black hair was long and a little wavy, coming down out of a tight beanie to cascade across his shoulders. While Angel had a little tuft of hair on his chin, the senior had a wider, shorter black goatee.

"Hey, Gabe... Any plans for today?" Angel asked. The senior grinned slyly.

"Probably not as interesting as what you've got in your head." Gabe replied as those around him scattered, getting ready for class. Angel felt his plan formulating in his head. His mom expected him home promptly after school, but not during school hours, and his social studies teacher was the worst at taking attendance.

"I was thinking we could finally get around to trying out those cigars I grabbed." Angel said. Gabe grinned wide, clapping Angel on the shoulder, leading him toward the fire door that conveniently had a defective alarm on it.

"I swear you're my brother from another mother. You've gotta have a little Cuban blood in you too my friend." Gabriel grinned wide. Angel glanced back at the hall only one time, thinking about Miguel and Nine. Maybe a little time away was all he needed.

****

The house had been quiet for months, left dormant by a missing occupant. Dust had gathered on the counters and the bookshelves, mail had piled up on the floor by the front door. The electricity and water had been turned off. It was a beautiful house, two stories above the ground and a fairly jam packed basement. The movie collection took up one wall of the living room and the furniture was all plush and comfortable. It had been a shame that it had been left vacant, at least, that was what Angel told himself as he unlocked the back door and opened it up, glancing back to the friend he'd brought from school with a grin.

"You'll like it, it's pretty nice." Angel assured him.

"You sure we won't get arrested?" Gabe asked Angel with a rare bit of concern.

"Relax Gabe, the place is abandoned. Nine took all the Ghostbusting stuff out of here so no one's coming back." Angel said, walking through the pantry, the kitchen, and finally the living room. He moved over to where they'd left some battery powered lanterns and turned them on, casting a pale blue light into the dim living room. Gabriel looked around, spotting some of the pictures on the wall.

"This the guy that owned the place?" Gabriel asked. Angel nodded, opening his backpack, pulling out the glass case he'd grabbed on his previous visit, a case full of thick, long cigars wrapped with a silver and purple ring two thirds of the way down the length.

"Yeah, his name was Dakota. He was a junior member of the Ghostbusters until he disappeared, ahead of the rest of them." Angel said. Gabe shook his head.

"Shame... Looks like he would have been a good guy to know. Certainly had a comfortable life!" Gabriel said, running his fingers over the glass case before he flicked it open. He examined the cigars with a keen eye, grabbing the cutter off the table. With a practiced click, he took off the end and brought the cigar up to his lips. His lighter flicked, the flame tickled the end and he puffed away. In a few light puffs the end started to glow a purplish red. Smoke built in Gabriel's mouth and he held it there before expelling it in a thick plume.

"Damn, that's fine..." Gabriel said, "Big too." he said with admiration. The quality of the cigar, its size, its flavors sent a rush through Gabe. He felt his heart racing and blood circulating. There was a stirring in his pants, even his manhood filling out and hardening a bit at just how good the cigar was.

"I thought you might appreciate it." Angel said, though he felt like it was a bit of a show. He wasn't sure how much of a cigar man he was. He'd only had two in his life and he hadn't finished either. Still, it had been an odd bit of rebellion with Gabriel. Gabe had smoked cigars with his father for a few years now. Angel never had that kind of connection. Angel selected his own cigar from the box and brought it to his lips, trying the clipper. It cut through the tobacco fairly well, leaving a nice clean end.

It took Angel a few flicks before he got the cigar to light, but once it was going he puffed. The smoke was different than any he'd had before. It was woody, natural, and strong... and it made him feel oddly strong, oddly good. Angel puffed on it, holding the smoke in his mouth before he exhaled. The smoke curled around his face, dancing across his skin, playing along the tiny tuft of hair on his chin.

Angel murmured, looking at Gabe, the two men with the big stogies. They smoked together, holding the cigars, their cocks hardening in their pants. Little by little, Gabriel was getting harder than he ever had before. His cock was sliding down his pant leg. He was a little embarrassed, but he couldn't fight it. He loved it too much. Angel closed his eyes, holding more smoke in his lips before he exhaled again.

"This... is good stuff. But we're going to miss second period if we don't head back soon." Angel said. Gabe chuckled.

"Hey man, you can't rush a good 'gar, and... you wanted out of that place, right? Why not make it worth it?" Angel asked, plopping down in one of the overstuffed chairs, "Enjoy yourself. Be a man now, for we never know when we're going to die." Gabriel said. Angel smiled a bit. He DID know when he was going to die, when his mom found out he'd skipped class... But if he was going to get in trouble anyway, why not make it worth it? Angel sat down in the other chair and puffed away again, feeling his manhood get harder and tighter in his pants, standing up in a tent. At least being a bad boy felt damn good.

****

A deep rumbling filled the heavens, a rain cascading down across the campus. The G4 classroom in the back corner of the school had two floor to ceiling walls of windows; large panes separated by black steel. There was a cement area extending out from the school a few feet, then grassy field, then a fence guarding the edge of the hillside sloping down to a neighborhood below. Miguel sat in his seat, looking out at the water building on the cement. The rain was so fine that it simply seemed to appear in the puddles, it fell more as a haze than as drops.

In the spring and fall, the classroom was beautiful, but in winter it felt damn cold. Miguel felt like he could practically see his breath. He slumped in his chair, his blue hair hanging down almost to his eyes. Normally he was a good student, but today the teacher felt a million miles away... just like everything. His dad was far away, Rerun was far away, his ability to bust ghosts was far away. It wasn't fair.

But what was he going to do about it? Angel's mom had gone slightly easier on him than Angel. Maybe it was because he wasn't her kid, maybe it was because Angel was supposed to be a good example for him. Whatever it was, it almost felt worse. Angel... was in a terrible mood. Miguel hadn't ever seen him be that short with Nine. He wasn't sure he wanted to be around him when he got home either, and rubbing in the fact that his curfew wasn't as strict wasn't going to be as bad as being trapped with him when he first got home.

Miguel's eyes returned to the window, watching the rain come down. It was wet... Wet and cold. He'd have to bundle up if he was going to be out in the elements any longer than he had to be... but something told him that wandering was just what he needed to sort out his thoughts. If the answers wouldn't come to him in his everyday life, he'd just have to make them manifest. Miguel noticed the other students turning the pages of their text book and mimicked doing the same, trying not to stick out like a sore thumb.

****

With a bit of precision, Gabriel managed to get the lock to the side door to release, and with another deft hand movement, he kept a piece of metal on the sensor as he opened the door and ushered Angel inside. He pivoted his hips and swung inside, letting gravity bring the door back shut. As it slipped in, he pulled the metal wire back. The door clicked shut and the emergency alarm didn't sound. Gabe grinned, but not nearly as much as Angel did.

"You are such a badass." Angel chuckled softly, looking around. The hallways were empty. Class was in session, everyone was where they were supposed to be except for them. Gabe turned and leaned back against the door frame, looking Angel over.

"You're not so bad yourself my friend." he grinned, "That... was amazing. I've never felt like that before." Gabe said.

"Maybe we can do it again sometime." Angel said. Gabriel's grin grew bigger.

"Why not now? Prove how bad of a boy you can be?" he asked, patting his pocket.

"You brought them here?" Angel asked. Gabe nodded and glanced both directions before he headed for the bathroom. Angel swallowed a bit as he moved after his friend. The door swung open and swung shut behind them, the light gleaming off of the white walls. They barely made it into the room before Gabe had withdrawn the glass case. A long, thick cigar was in his hands, the brown wrapping bold and sturdy. He clipped the end, brought the cigar up to his lips and in a deft movement had lit it.

Angel could feel his mouth salivating a bit. He'd been uncertain about his sexuality for a long time until he met Nine, and then things had finally started to make a bit more sense. He wasn't as outright gay as Nine was, but at the same time... he had an appreciation for people, and it was hard not to admire Gabriel. His free spirit, his wild attitude, his ability to defy the system... and there he was, his long hair, his perfect goatee, and a big cigar stuck in those lips.

Blood rushed into Angel's already semi-hard member. It plumped and fattened, slipping down his leg, getting tighter in his pants. It was hard to resist how horny he was, and when he was horny he didn't make good decisions. Angel moved over and Gabe offered him the glass case. He opened it up and took out another, clipped the end with a little less certainty, but as he brought it to his lips, Gabe lit it for him.

Angel puffed and puffed. The end of the cigar glowed red, though slowly the red light was turning purple. Angel pulled on it, drawing the smoke through the cigar, filling his mouth with it and holding it before he expelled. The smoke billowed out, almost impossibly thick. Gabe shuddered. His whole body felt electric. His cock was raging hard, his bones were throbbing as if he was growing again. He puffed and blew out, puffed and blew out. The smoke spilled around them, spreading out, tiny tendrils creeping along the tiled floor. The lock on the door flashed with purple light as it fused in place.

Angel puffed again, though his eyes kept drifting to Gabriel. How unfair was the universe that he met such a fascinating man, an amazing person, a handsome dude... and he was straight. Still, there was nothing wrong with eye candy, right? And being bad had such a thrill to it. It made him feel better after all the things that had gone wrong in his life. Angel held the smoke in his mouth before letting it puff out in a thick plume.

Gabriel, though, was further gone in his euphoria. His head was dizzy with pleasure, his pants painfully tight. He grunted suddenly as the wonderful sensations in his pants started to push onto the border of pain. There wasn't enough room... He looked down, seeing his camouflage pants pushed to their limit. He reached down and lowered the zipper, and with a fling of black fabric, a bulge pushed out of the fly.

Angel blinked, not sure he'd seen what he had though. Was Gabriel undoing his pants? Sure enough, his friend moved his left hand to unbutton his pants while his right held the cigar. He took a long drag, held the smoke in, and then as the button released, he blew out - in more ways than one. A mess of stretched boxers and untamable flesh erupted out of his open pants. It was a tangled heap, but Gabe tugged up on the leg of the boxers and an immense, fat, hard, long uncut cuban cock slipped out.

"That's better." Gabe murmured to himself, licking his lips. He held the cigar in his lips and clenched down a bit with his teeth, inhaling and exhaling as he reached down with both hands to give attention to his cock. He pulled his long cock up through the leg of his boxers as his pants fell around his ankles. It took great care to reel his meat back in, but he got it up over his boxers, letting the boxers slip down as well until he was naked from the waist down. Hoisting his shaft out, he began to stroke it back and forth, the foreskin revealing the head beneath before plunging back in again as he worked himself.

"Gabe, what are you doing?" Angel whispered, "What if someone comes in?"

"Let them watch." Gabe grinned, "They'll be impressed. I know you're packing man, let it out." Gabe panted, working his cock with one hand while another went back to his cigar. There he was, smoking and jacking, a double embodiment of manliness right out in the open. The thrill of it, the freedom of it, only intoxicated him further. His cock was almost eleven inches long, but little by little it was stretching out again, getting thicker, wider, fatter.

Angel swallowed a bit, the saliva tinged by the earthy scent of the cigar. He tried to emulate what his friend had done, holding it in his mouth tight as he unbuttoned his pants, opened his fly, and maneuvered out his big black cock. Trapping the cigar there, it was impossible not to get more smoke into his lungs than he had intended. Normally it would have made him cough, but instead it made his world spin.

As Angel's member sprung into the air, he shuddered, grabbing back onto the cigar, pulling it out to get one breath of clear air - except that he couldn't. The bathroom was hazy, the white tile no longer refracting the light, no longer so overbearingly bright. There were sounds of flesh on flesh, and a steady stream of clear pre was starting to drip from Gabe's cock, falling to the floor.

Angel let out an audible whimper. He was so horny, and this was so unfair to have it so close and be unable to touch. Angel puffed on his cigar again and started to work his own cock with his free hand, stroking its length, back and forth, back and forth, panting and moaning, feeling it get so hard, so long. He couldn't help it... the heat rushed up, his body tingled, and suddenly clear pre was gushing out of the tip of his cock too.

"Look at us... fucking men." Gabe murmured, looking in the mirror, then at Angel... and then his cock. He reached over and wrapped his fingers around the root of Angel's cock, trying to help him jerk off, though at the touch, Angel lost all rhythm.

"Dude, what are you doing? You're not gay..." Angel said. Gabe looked momentarily confused. That was true, he wasn't... but this seemed so right, so perfect. The glaze returned to his eyes as he took another puff on the cigar.

"This is beyond all of that... We're connected." Gabriel said. Angel's heart floated up suddenly, his anxiety and fear and doubt leaving his body. That little bit of acceptance might as well have been a proposal. Angel reached over and wrapped his fingers around Gabe's cock in turn, slipping it back and forth, up and down. Angel moaned. Gabe's cock felt so firm and hard, and yet like putty in his hands, stretching longer when he stroked toward the tip, and getting fatter when he stroked toward the base.

The two men kept smoking away, basking in each other's presence, leaking precum and spewing clouds of tainted smoke. The cigars gleamed a distinct violet as they burned. The minutes were passing. Someone tried to get into the bathroom, but the door didn't budge. The air was thick with smoke, and the mirrors were clouded, no longer showing a pure reflection. The altered environment even started to sound different. It was as if there was distant bird song, calling out, the sound of the jungle just beyond the tiled walls.

Gabe moaned, taking a deep, long drag on his cigar as Angel worked his cock. He felt like a man, a king, a creature of the wild... and he felt good. His life was for sex, for Angel, for smoking, for - for -

"FUCK!" Gabe howled out, groaning. The head of his cock popped free of his foreskin, blunting and bloating, widening until it was flat. The urethra got puffy and wide, bigger than ever before. Under Angel's hand, he started to feel a firm ridge pushing out about half way down, like a ring. Angel gasped as he felt Gabe's cock start surging out of his groin, pushing out an inch, then another, then another and another. The foreskin stretched until it was tight, giving no give.

Angel's hand snapped back and he looked down, watching as Gabe's cock tightened and thickened, the creamy flesh getting dark brown spots, then those spots turning black as more spots filled in until the entire length was as black as night. It was an immense, long, animal looking cock - a horse cock. It was robust, huge, and radiating with masculinity. Gabe howled out again, but instead of just screaming with lust, he took one last drag on his cigar. The end glowed a bright purple, Gabe came, and thick purple cum erupted from his cock, spraying all over the bathroom mirror, hitting the sink, showering the floor.

There was a snap of electricity, a crackle, a pop. The air changed, the light changed, everything changed. The bathroom disappeared completely from around them, opening up into a forest - no, a jungle. Trees, grass, vines, ferns. Gabe stood there, completely naked. The spent cigar fell to the ground, leaving him naked with his long hair, fit body, and huge horse cock. With the rest of his clothes gone, Angel realized his fingernails had all turned to a grayish black, and his feet looked strange and warped.

A hot snort blasted from nostrils nearby, leaving a vapor of steamy smoke. Angel turned, eyes widening sharply as he saw a creature that was most certainly not of the natural world. Standing before him was a lanky, gangly horse beast with a long neck and limbs, but he was far from spindly. The horse head was immense, the mane tall, and a long, beard like tuft of blackish gray hair hung down from the creature's jaw. The torso was muscled, the legs thick despite their unusual proportions, and somehow the three foot horse cock extending out from his hips didn't seem quite so unusual with his unusual shape.

It took Angel a moment to realize there was another, similar creature nearby. A long, thin gold chain linked the first creature to the second. The second horse beast was shorter, more compact, but far more muscled. Its muzzle was busy slurping up and down on its own immense member, the wet and lewd sounds quite audible. Angel looked at the two horse beasts, then at Gabe's huge equine member, realizing that he may have just been the one to doom his friend.

****

For an Oregonian, even a long time transplant, the rain was a double edged sword. It was beautiful, inspirational, life giving... and a downright pain in the neck. Miguel walked down the street, his long sleeve t-shirt soaked to the bone, his pants drenched and his shoes soggy. His black and blue hair clung to his head and his normally healthy looking skin was pale. His coat had gone missing sometime after PE. Maybe it was some kind of prank. Miguel didn't know. Somehow, though, even the miserable wetness felt better than being at home when Theo got back from being grounded... but as another crack of thunder ripped through the heavens and the rain intensified, Miguel had to start rethinking his plans.

His feet started to hit the pavement a little faster, sending up splashes from his moist footwear. The water was overflowing gutters, coming down in curtains from the buildings. The sides of the streets were little gully's, channeling the water toward storm drains struggling to keep up. Miguel was feeling like a bigger and bigger idiot. The streetlight up ahead snapped to white, indicating it was safe to cross. Miguel sped up and bolted across the street, making it to the other side before he skidded to a stop, panting for breath.

With the cold, wet air, each breath felt like a stab into his lungs, almost like one of his ribs was out of place. He couldn't keep doing this. He was going to get himself sick, or worse. There was another crack of thunder above so loud that Miguel swore he could have felt it rattle his bones... and again the rain intensified. He could even smell ozone in the air.

"Fuck this..." Miguel muttered under his breath, rain drops falling from his lips and chin. He looked up... and saw something he had never seen before. It was an alleyway, narrow but well ventilated between the buildings. It was open to the sky, but it didn't seem quite so rugged. In fact, there seemed to be more light filtering down. Two pylons sat at the edge of the street, making sure nothing larger than a person could make it into the alleyway, no doubt protecting the cobblestone ground of the alley.

Miguel glanced around and then decided to try his luck. He stepped off the beaten path and into the alleyway, feeling the air warm and the rain decrease. He moved up a few yards to the first shop. It was an old store front with wood frame panels around the windows, though the windows themselves were packed to the brim with baubles and doo dads. Miguel put his hand on the old brass knob and turned it, opening the door to a jangle of bells. He stepped in out of the rain, shivering.

It took a moment for him to adjust to the smell of the shop. It was... peaty, earthy, almost like sage. The artifacts in the window all seemed old, older even than antiques. There were blown glass fish floats, bottles of various liquids, little potted plants and a lantern full of a green flame that seemingly had no fuel source. Miguel moved over and crouched to lean over, looking at the lantern in confusion.

"Careful, looking into Death's lantern isn't for the weak." a companionable voice said. Miguel turned to see who spoke, freezing on the spot. Standing behind the counter was a young man, seemingly in his mid twenties. His piercing blue eyes were studying Miguel, contrasted with his dark black hair with a red flourish between his... horns. Two white ivory spikes rose up from his temples, thick and broad.

Miguel was so stunned by that particular anatomical difference that it took him a moment longer to notice the young man's elongated, folded animal like ears or the pointed tuft of a black goatee hanging down from his chin. He had on a red tanktop with an emblem that was quite possibly the symbol for the shop, though his right bicep had a gold ring around it, matching the gold bracelet on his wrist. In contrast, his entire left forearm from wrist to elbow was covered in a gold bracer. Topping off his ensemble, a necklace hung from his stout neck, tipped with a wood and resin necklace, the blue resin as bright as his eyes.

"A human?" the creature asked in surprise, moving over. As he stepped out from behind the counter, his uniform ended at the knees, betraying furry black legs that graduated into wild tufts of red fur just above wide white hooves. The satyr looked at Miguel and the sorry state he was in before grabbing a polished black stone off the shelf. He ran his fingers over the jagged etchings in the rock before handing it to Miguel, "Here, hold this." he said.

"What are you? Why don't I recognize this place?" Miguel asked, accepting the rock. All at once he felt warm. It started small, like an ember in his lungs that spread outward, warming him from the inside out. The chill died away, color returned to his skin, and slowly he started to feel more like he had put on wet clothes instead of been soaked all the way through.

"You don't recognize this place because no human is supposed to be able to find us here... All that chaos out there must have weakened the protections, or you are more than you seem." The satyr murmured, "As for myself, my name is Dan. I'm the humble operator of this establishment. I gather odds and ends from across the realms, offering them to spirits that have something to trade." The satyr smiled, watching as Miguel's shirt became less and less damp as the moments passed. Miguel looked up at him quizzically.

"You're a satyr... named Dan?" he asked. The satyr's black eyebrow arched.

"And you're a human that hasn't introduced yourself yet, even after my hospitality." Dan replied. Miguel blushed a bit, realizing that in fact he was worlds better than he had been moments before. Thanks to the warming stone, it was unlikely he would get pneumonia at least.

"My name is Miguel." he said after a moment, recalling somewhere in the back of his mind that names gave people power... but this satyr didn't have his full name at least. That had to count for something.

"So, Miguel the human, you just wandered into our neighborhood?" Dan asked, moving back behind the counter. He ran his fingers along the edge of the wooden shelving. They were all organized into neat little cubbies, each square barely larger than a foot in width and height. The satyr pulled out a very old blue and white teapot with a bit of a chip near the rim. It was wider and flatter than most teapots. The satyr set it down on the counter and lifted the lid off.

As if sensing the need, the light filling the empty teapot slowly shifted, starting to refract and reflect until the teapot was full... and it smelled delicious. Miguel's heart skipped a beat or two as he tried to process everything that was going on. Dan fetched two cups from hooks near the end of the register area and filled them with the ethereal tea that had appeared in the pot. Steam wafted off, smelling of jasmine and ginseng.

"Yeah, I was trying to get out of the rain." Miguel said. Dan looked up at the window at the front of the shop. The water was falling rather heavily still, streaming down the old glass. Dan let out a soft noise from his lips as he offered the human one of the two teacups. Miguel reached for it before realizing he still had the warming stone. He offered it back to the satyr. Dan couldn't help but reveal a slight smile. Humans were notorious pickpockets, or so he had heard. The fact that, presented with the relics of other dimensions and realms, he gave it back so easily was a telling sign.

"I guess you succeeded." Dan said with a soft smile, "You're welcome to stay here until it dries out a bit." he offered. Miguel held the warm teacup in his hands.

"And then?" Miguel asked.

"Then it would be best for you to go back the way you came before anyone forgets that you're missing." Dan said softly. Miguel's brows lowered at that as he plaintively sipped at his tea, pondering just what an ominous fate that might have been.

****

Another snort left the nostrils of the horse beast as dark, beady eyes looked over the two teenagers that had appeared in the forest. It lifted a cigar to its lips and took a puff before expelling out the smoke. Gabe licked his lips, longing for more of that smoke, more of that pleasure. The horse chuckled slowly and happily, bringing a long spindly arm down to give his long shaft a deft stroke, showing it off for the new admirer. Gabe broke into a sprint.

"Gabriel, don't!" Angel shouted out, but it was too late. Gabe dropped to his knees, skidding in the muddy grass, coming up to the horse. The beast took a drag on his cigar, leaned down, brought his muzzle to the human's and blew. Gabe took it in, purple smoke spilling out of his nostrils, curling around his head and shoulders and the rest of his body.

As the smoke cleared, Angel could already see changes in Gabriel's cuban features. His nose had broadened, his chin was pointier, and his eyes were a glassy black. He gazed up at the horse beast before he brought his head down, not around a cigar, but around the creature's immense shaft. His lips went wide as he began to suck and slurp and suckle, and as he bobbed his head, his skull began to tug and warp and stretch.

Gabriel's lips didn't move much, forward or back, but when he pulled back his skull elongated. His flesh contorted as his muzzle grew in. Gabe's teeth blunted, his arms stretched out longer and longer, his legs flexing out as they got more gangly. The horse beast reached down with one hand, guiding the former human's growing horse head up and down his cock, puffing on his cigar, taking great pleasure in the corruption of another mortal.

Angel stood there, powerless, almost sickened by the growing feeling inside of himself, the feeling that he wanted to join his friend, to feel that abandon himself. He watched as downy black fur pushed out of Gabriel's cheeks, spreading down his neck, across his chest and back, creeping over his elongated snout and surrounding his eyes. The human flesh disappeared as Gabe's ears pushed out and curved, pointing to a tip as they took on equine features.

It had only taken moments for Gabriel to lose his humanity, to become a gangly horse like the other two in the clearing. The big beast threw back his head, letting out a neigh as he came, blue cum filling Gabriel's muzzle as he gulped it down, satisfied to get such a big load. The air smelled muskier in moments, but then the horse beast's beady eyes turned back to Angel, to the other arrival.

"Unexpected visitors... It has been some time." The voice was deep, resonant, cultured as it carried on the air. A contrast to the lewd acts that had just taken place.

"The cigars were yours?" Angel asked weakly.

"Actually, they were my husband's. He bought them, enjoyed them, and then came to me. How you got them... is another story." he said, looking into Angel's eyes. The cinnamon skinned youth felt his will weakening somewhat.

"We... found this guy's house, we wanted to use his tools to help people, but while I was there, I saw the cigars. Since... since he was missing, I thought... it wouldn't hurt." Angel muttered. The horse beast smiled.

"Of course not. No one should ever waste a good cigar, especially one of my hand crafted specialties." he replied, looking down to Gabriel, "Tell me, young foal, would you like another cigar?" He asked. Gabe let out a snort from his new nostrils, nodding eagerly. The beast grinned, "Ahhh, what a good boy." the horse said, summoning a new cigar in a swirl of light. Gabriel moved to light up without hesitation.

"So is this what you wanted? To grow your herd?" Angel asked. The horse smiled slowly as he looked back.

"From the looks of things, it's working. Look, you're almost there yourself..." he smiled, gesturing. Angel looked down and started to feel flushed. Despite his fear, his worry, the change of venues... his cock was still rock hard, aching, and abnormally long. It had to be at least a foot and a half in length, almost two. It was as black as night and aching to be used.

The horse beast moved over slowly, reaching out, caressing the tuft of hair on the bottom of Angel's chin. Angel shivered at that, closing his eyes, trying not to look. He felt hot breath on him, then smoke. He tried to pull back... and then he felt a hot mouth on his cock. He gasped sharply, eyes widening as he looked down, seeing Gabe slip his muzzle over the length, starting to suckle and bob his head.

Angel moaned, grabbing onto his friend's furry cheeks, starting to hold him there as he thrust his hips back and forth. The horse spirit grinned, puffing on his cigar, watching as Angel's eyes rolled into the back of his head, his cock disappearing down that greedy, hungry throat. Angel's back arched as his face started to contort, his ears taking on points, his ass cheeks pushing apart as a wiggling appendage began wriggling free of his tailbone, pushing out and growing quickly.

The creature took great relish in watching the traveler lose his way. After all, that was the root of his power. He'd traveled far from his ancestral territory, finding a niche in the path between worlds. There were many travelers to toy with, but few as malleable as these humans. He could feel the ties between these humans and the mortal world weakening, their presence in his domain growing.

Still, the pleasure was... fleeting. His 'husband' had proven to be resistant and willful, and the deal with the strange grey eyed spirit had been very one sided. Perhaps these new foals would be more pleasing, more of a diversion. He had to hope so, Tikbalangs were always looking for their next source of entertainment.

****

The door to the house eased open slowly as Miguel squeezed back in. The journey back home had been faster than he expected it to be, aided by the fact that even his shoes had dried out while he'd visited the strange antique store. He still got shivers when he thought about it. He'd made it back out of the alley, promising himself he wouldn't look back until he stepped back onto the sidewalk, and when he finally did look back, there was nothing. One brick and mortar building pressed right up against a cement building. No way in, no way out.

'All that chaos out there must have weakened the protections.' The phrase kept repeating in his head, all the way home. The chaos, the ghosts, the steady humming pulse of hundreds of ghosts swirling around the atmosphere in a psychokinetic soup. It had been chaos that he and his friends had been working to stop, until they couldn't... and now they had to deal with the ramifications.

"Miguel, is that you?" A soft voice called out, the voice of Angel's mother Kiara. She sounded oddly pleasant for the sort of day they'd had. Maybe she had been worried about him. Miguel moved to the doorway to the dining room and was greeted by the rich, savory scents of homemade shepherd's pie. He closed his eyes and smiled, just taking it in.

"Sorry I'm so late, I had to do some thinking on my way home." Miguel said as he moved toward the table but slowed, realizing there were only two place settings. He looked at the dishes and then up at Kiara.

"Oh it's no worry; I know you're a growing boy." Kiara said, dishing up the shepherd's pie onto the plates. The potatoes were browned perfectly.

"Did... Did Angel already eat?" Miguel asked. Kiara looked up at that with a slightly confused smile.

"Is that one of your friends, dear?" Kiara asked. Miguel's stomach tightened so tight he felt like he might throw up.

"I-" Miguel stuttered, not sure how to start, let alone clarify what had to be a heinous mistake of the universe. He swallowed a bit, "Sorry, very long day... I... I was just thinking about how thankful I am that... that you took me in, and gave me somewhere to call home." Miguel said. Kiara smiled softly, her face bright with the smile of being appreciated.

"It was the only right thing to do, and I had this big old empty house all to myself after all... Made sense to share it with someone in need. It's almost as if I had a son of my own." Kiara said, still smiling although a tear was leaking down her cheek. She reached up and wiped it away and then looked at it with a bit of confusion, "I guess it's been a long day for both of us." She chuckled softly, "Now, eat up. This is best when it's good and hot." Kiara said. Miguel nodded dutifully, moving to the table.

"I... I was wondering if it was okay if after dinner I could go back out. I've got a friend I'm really worried about, and I think he needs me to be there for him." Miguel said. Kiara looked across the table at Miguel, studying his face.

"You really are worried, aren't you?" She asked softly before smiling, "You've always had a good heart, looking out for others. You'll be safe, right? And none of that Ghostbusting nonsense." She said. Miguel swallowed again.

"I'll be as safe as I can be, I promise..." Miguel said. Kiara nodded.

"Alright. You can go back out, but you better eat all your dinner first. Can't go rushing headlong into who knows what with an empty stomach." She said. Miguel nodded at that, starting to dig into his food. His stomach resisted, even his throat made it hard to swallow. Something terrible had happened, something had ripped Angel out of his mother's memory even if her heart clung to him... and he had only one idea on where to start trying to find answers.

****

The rain had moved out of the area, but it was being chased by strong winds. Miguel moved down the street, wind whipping his hair and his clothing. The whole winter thing was starting to get old really fast, but nothing was going to stop him. He had to find Angel, he had to save him. Miguel retraced his steps, coming back to where the two buildings touched. A newspaper slid down the sidewalk, carried by the strong winds.

Miguel's tired, brown eyes looked at where the buildings touched. Brick against cement, barely a seam between them. That was where the weird, mysterious alley had been. Miguel was starting to feel bad. He hadn't even had time to try and tell Nine, to warn him, but... Miguel remembered what Dan had said, about getting back before people forgot that he was missing. That was just what had happened to Angel... to the man that was practically his brother.

The teen looked at the wall before him, turning his doubt and worry into certainty. He'd go back to that antique shop; he'd get the answers he needed. It was an optical illusion, some manipulation of perception. That was all. Miguel moved forward with confidence - and felt the sting of the brick smacking into his chest and cheek. He winced and doubled back, a hand coming back up to his stomach.

"Oh COME on!" Miguel shouted, the wind blasting against his body. This was turning out to be the worst day ever... but then again, Angel had said it himself. Was this the curse of being a Ghostbuster? Were they destined to disappear unceremoniously? Miguel ran his hands over the brick wall, tracing his fingers until the tips felt irritated from the grit. He finally turned around and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes, his chin dropping to his chest.

"Ayuda..." he muttered under his breath. For a moment the wind didn't seem so bad, but then again the wall didn't seem so solid either. Miguel toppled backwards, landing on his ass, arms spread to either side. He was sitting in the middle of the mouth to the alleyway, barely six feet across. To his left, the brick building. To his right, the cement building, and beneath him was the old cobblestone path.

A flash of victory snapped across Miguel's face as he pushed himself back to his feet, spun around and jogged up to the antique store. The lights were off, though Death's lantern still flickered with its' eerie green glow and sprites swirled and circled through the glass spheres. Miguel banged on the door with urgency.

"Dan! Dan! Please, please be there!" Miguel shouted out. There were growls and moans from down the alleyway, half visible spirits peeking out from windows and doorways. Miguel's eyes widened, but he kept knocking on the door until a light flicked on in the shop and eventually the door opened.

"Miguel the human..." Dan murmured, looking tired... and naked. His black hair was in a wild mullet. His apron and shorts were gone, though the necklace and bracer remained. His fur was supple and thick enough to give him a modicum of decency.

"What did you mean about me getting back before people forgot I was missing?" Miguel asked. Dan murmured.

"It couldn't have happened that fast for you... You DID leave, right?" Dan asked.

"Not me, my friend, Angel. Are you sure I was the first human to show up here?" Miguel asked. Dan looked one way up the street and then back at Miguel, signaling for him to come in. The satyr turned and moved back into his shop and Miguel followed. Dan moved around the counter, retrieving the teapot and the cups again, letting the teapot refill itself before he poured the beverages.

"This neighborhood is a bit like a labyrinth. It winds its way from your city to other parts of the world, and even other worlds. Because of that, several spirits live here that thrive on lost travelers... If some of them get you, the world starts to forget you were ever a part of it." Dan said, "I didn't want you bumping into any of the locals."

"Is there any way that my friend might have found this place? Even his own mom doesn't remember having him. At least... not completely. She... she cried when she talked about not having a son." Miguel said. Dan murmured, lifting his cup to sip.

"Not the minotaur then. His victims are remembered heroically." Dan considered, "And I don't think it would be the Kappa." Dan said, "Is there anything your friend had been doing before he disappeared? Anything out of the ordinary?" he asked. Miguel thought back to anything out of the ordinary, any irregularities. They'd been spending a lot of time together... for the most part, although there were still times where he'd disappear off on his own... and come back smelling like smoke.

"I guess... smoking?" Miguel said. Dan murmured softly, moving back to the door of his shop. He opened the door and leaned out, looking down the way, up a slight hill to a well lit shop. In contrast to the antique store, it was much more modern with neon signs and an assortment of replica weapons hanging on its walls. Miguel squeezed out of the doorframe, following Dan's gaze, reading the sign, "T.K.'s Cigars?" Miguel asked.

"A Tikbalang, Dakila Tikbalang... A trickster spirit that likes to lead travelers astray, but if your friend's family is forgetting him, it might be a lot more serious. He got married a few months ago, I thought he'd settle down." Dan said softly, "This... might be too dangerous for you to face." Dan said.

"Even trickster spirits have rules, right?" Miguel asked, "Maybe there's something... something we can trade? We've worked with spirits before. We made a deal with Cilehe..." Miguel murmured. He had been deprived the equipment of a Ghostbuster, but he could still think like one. Dan smiled and moved back into the shop, grabbing a book that looked to be at least four hundred years old, although the brown leather binding and the gold leaf on the edge of the pages was still in pristine shape. Dan flipped through, running his finger down the symbols on the page.

"Let's see... Taming a Tikbalang... Obtaining one of its three spikes or golden hairs... or appealing to his territorialism." Dan said. Miguel lifted his cup of tea and sipped from it, thinking about everything he had learned about the world in the last few weeks, about everything he had faced, about everything he had seen.

"Alright... let's give this a shot. Time to tame a Teek... a Tick-" Miguel hesitated.

"Tikbalang." Dan replied.

"Right, that." Miguel said. Dan smiled a little weakly. This human might have been doomed, but he had a good spirit.

**** The clip clop of Dan's hooves on the cobblestone alleyway was oddly melodic for Miguel, and he couldn't help but stare. He watched the satyr move with such ease and elegance, at least until he realized they had stopped. The eighteen year old looked up to see a brick and mortar shop like any other in downtown Portland, although he could feel an energy coming off of it.

A closed sign hung on the door. The front window was covered with old paint, emblazoned in a vintage font to advertise 'T.K's Cigars' to any that had ventured into the alley. Miguel leaned in, looking through the window. He could see that two walls were covered in cabinets and alcohol bottles while another had other accessories and clothing like belts, hats, and vests.

"You're lucky it's so hard for people to get in here, there'd be hipsters swarming all over this place." Miguel said. Dan murmured.

"None of the residents would like that. At least, that's what I thought." Dan said, reaching for the doorknob.

"Isn't it lock-" Miguel stopped as the door clicked open. Dan stopped, though, just an inch in. He reached up and held on to a little bell perched at the top of the door frame as he opened the door more. The satyr stepped through and held the bell while Miguel entered, letting the door slip back shit behind them. Miguel took a step, but it didn't feel right. His foot wasn't on even ground. Miguel looked down at the carpet, but his foot wasn't quite meshing correctly. He looked back at Dan. The satyr grinned.

"You can tell, can't you? No wonder you found the alley. Illusions aren't working on you." Dan said softly. Miguel smiled a bit at that.

"At least I'm not completely powerless." Miguel smirked. Dan murmured.

"I have a way to scatter this image, but we'll probably be right at the heart of his territory when we do. He keeps his shop close by." Dan said.

"What do we do when we find this person? I don't have my proton pack, or a trap, or anything." Miguel said.

"Well... My notes say you can get a Tikbalang to serve you by tying him up with a cord until he exhausts himself, or pulling one of the three long hairs in his mane." Dan said. Miguel made a face.

"I'm not a cowboy." Miguel murmured. Dan shrugged.

"I'm a little out of my league here, I sell artifacts and antiques." the satyr replied. Miguel took a breath at that.

"Then we'll have to see what I can manage by instinct." Miguel said, "Let's break this illusion."

"Get ready." Dan said, taking the wood and resin pendant hanging from his neck, lifting it up. The light of the store caught in the blue resin and started to glow brighter, distorting, bending, shifting, and then ultimately shattering. The store around them fell away, becoming a grassy grotto leading into the depths of the forest.

Miguel looked around at the bamboo, recognizing oak and laurel trees as well. The air was humid, moist even, as if an ocean was nearby. It was far more tropical than the Pacific Northwest. The human started moving forward, looking around. Dan moved swiftly to keep up, glancing one way and the next.

"Tikbalangs are great at looping travelers around, getting them stuck right back at the spot they started at." Dan said. Miguel stopped where he was and sniffed the air. He smelled something... musky, spicy, slightly familiar. His throat itched a bit just from a little whiff of it.

"Does that count the sense of smell?" Miguel asked, turning and stepping off the path at a diagonal. Dan followed after him, glancing back, watching the trail snake and twist as they stepped off of it. Miguel pushed through branches, marched over moss, and pushed out into another clearing on the other side of the trees. What he saw before him was far from ordinary.

"Another... human?" Dakila questioned in surprise, the horse turning before his shoulders rose into a defensive posture, "The Satyr..."

"Dakila, what are you doing? Did you lure these humans here?" Dan asked.

"No... Well, I mean... None of these new ones." The Tikbalang replied, "Though what if I did? Tikbalangs snatch unwary travelers..."

"Not in the alley they don't." Dan said.

"These new ones came on their own." Dakila said.

"Then who is that?" Dan gestured to the Tikbalang connected by the gold chain to Dakila. The horse snorted, smoke billowing out of his nostrils.

"This is all the fault of that little spirit... He created so much noise and chaos out there that humans are spilling in to our lands!" Dakila protested. Miguel's jaw slowly dropped.

"You said you didn't lure the new ones in, how did you get that one?" Dan asked, gesturing to the one on the chain. The stockier horse beast was sitting in the tall grass, working his immense member, panting and thrusting, oblivious to the world around him. Dakila shifted again.

"We got along great at first... He had sophisticated tastes, but after coming here, after joining me... he got too willful, to resistant. I had to ply him with my finest drinks, my best leaf." Dakila murmured.

"You are holding him against his will." Dan said.

"No, no... He came to be with me, he accepted my gifts, he accepted my pleasure!" Dakila protested more.

"Saying yes once doesn't mean that it will always be a yes. That is not consent!" Miguel shouted, "You are a kidnapper, and you are wiping my friend out of my world! He's my family, he's my friend, and he's one of the only people that can help save my city!" Miguel exclaimed. The horse spirit snorted out, his head tilting.

"Your... your friend, is a protector as well?" Dakila asked, looking over at where Angel was. He had gone horse from the waist down, his feet bloated into hooves, his legs covered in fur, his tail swishing behind a horsey ass. Gabriel had given up sucking his friend off to get plowed by him instead, having his intestines reamed as Angel thrust in and out fast and hard, his horse ears twitching.

"What did you do, Dakila?" Dan asked, moving forward. The Tikbalang shifted nervously, looking back at his husband.

"I made a deal with a new spirit, one that only existed a decade or two. Small, but powerful. He promised that I would have a wonderful husband, all I had to do was reach out to him. I did, and then... the mortal world shook. There's so much chaos out there, so much noise. The chaos is spreading, it's coming to my lands." Dakila said.

"You made a deal..." Miguel said softly, thinking of Cilehe and Draikoth, "I've made deals with spirits before. We can figure something out. This thing isn't working with your husband, and it won't work with the others either. We need them to fight the chaos back in my realm. If you let them go, we can do that. You can have peace again." Miguel said.

The Tikbalang snorted, looking back to his new converts. They looked so happy, so healthy, so... so... incomplete. Angel hadn't changed all the way. He WAS fighting it, at least a little. Just like his husband. The Tikbalang grew frustrated.

"I need something out of this. I am a businessman. I can't just give up." Dakila said.

"You can have it, you can have it... How about... Three favors, of your choosing?" Miguel asked. Dan's eyes widened a bit at that. Dakila, however, smiled slowly.

"Three is a good number you know." The Tikbalang murmured, "But humans are almost as untrustworthy as trickster gods. To make sure you do not go back on your deal, I will leave my mark on them. If you betray me, if you fail me, I will take them all back in to my herd. Do we have a deal?" Dakila asked. Dan looked nervous, but he had met enough humans to know how impulsive they were.

"Deal." Miguel said. Dakila grinned, bringing his hands together in a clap. Darkness spilled in around them all like an avalanche coming down off a mountain, wiping out everything in sight.

**** Stale air, dust, the smell of a room long neglected. Miguel became aware of the smell before he felt the carpet pressing against his cheek. It was an old material, reminiscent of shag but not as unwieldy. Miguel's eye opened to darkness. He fumbled around and pushed himself up, trying to get his bearings in the dark. There was a faint amount of light coming through the curtains from the street light outside. Miguel started feeling his way toward the wall when a blue light flooded the living room.

The light came from a string of bluish-white LED christmas lights strung up along the ceiling, making a square at the top of the room. It was fed off of a solar battery slipped up into the window. Miguel looked around, first at the lights, but then taking stock. Angel was there, Gabriel, and another individual, a man in his late twenties or early thirties, african american, hair shorn short, a neat and clean goatee. He was incredibly familiar, but it soon dawned on Miguel that he was the man in the pictures around the house, the elusive fifth Portland Ghostbuster.

"Dakota... Dakota Shaw?" Miguel asked. The older man looked disoriented, looking up at the rest of them after a moment.

"What are you doing in my house?" He asked sternly.

"I, we, I mean-" Angel stuttered.

"Our friend, Nine, he figured out the codex the Ghostbusters left behind." Miguel said. Dakota reached up, rubbing his head, wincing. He had a killer hangover. He moved to take a step but froze. Everyone had a sense of their body, how it moved and flowed, how each part adjusted in relation to the next. The step had revealed to him that something was very off. Miguel murmured as the older man opened his pants and reached his hand inside, working it around.

"Jeeze, man." Angel muttered, looking away.

"I'm not all the way back to me." Dakota said.

"What do you mean?" Miguel asked. Angel yelped as the bigger man fished out a long, obsidian black, flat tipped and median-ringed equine member.

"I mean I'm not all the way back to me." he repeated, hands holding the large cock aloft. Angel reached down as well, although he realized he hadn't gotten his pants back, at least not on. They were loose around his ankles just like when they had disappeared. His hands revealed more information, like the fact that his normally impressive member was awe inspiring at an immense length and a respectable girth. It, too, was as dark as the night and decidedly equine.

"Dude, me too! I'm packin'!" Gabriel grinned, fondling himself, feeling his huge manhood engorge longer and thicker. It was an amazing implement, so far from the human standard. Just taking stock, Miguel reached down as well, finding his modest, human manhood undisturbed. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel lucky or left out.

"What did you mean, the Ghostbusters left something behind?" Dakota asked, turning to face the smallest of the men standing in his house.

"It... It was like a puzzle, full of information about the gear and ghosts, ways to access the firehouse. It went viral, but only one person figured it out." Miguel said.

"What happened to the Ghostbusters?" Dakota asked more solemnly. Miguel hesitated. This time it was Angel that stepped forward.

"We found the security footage. They went into battle to protect the sick and the weak, the frail. They stopped Four Horsemen of the apocalypse... and sacrificed themselves." Angel said. Dakota's face grew sterner.

"And I was gone the whole time? Trapped in that shop, at the mercy of that thing..." Dakota said with disgust, "And it took some tweens to come mop up my mess." Dakota growled.

"We are legal, thank you very much." Angel shot back, glancing over at Miguel as he checked his phone.

"And... we are going to be very dead. Your mom remembers you, and she remembers that we're supposed to be grounded." Miguel said.

"What do you mean, she remembers me?" Angel asked in protest.

"It's going to take a while to catch you up, which is good because we're going to be grounded for a very long time." Miguel said, slipping his phone back into his pocket, "Mister Shaw, are you going to be alright?" he asked.

"Ew." Dakota murmured, "Don't ever call me that again, kid." he said in his gruff, deep voice, "I've got to figure things out for a while. And you two have a warden to go meet." Dakota said, "What about you, kid?" he asked Gabriel. The cuban smiled.

"Hey, I'm just excited to still be alive after everything." he grinned. Dakota murmured at that, shaking his head.

"I think we all gotta sort things out." he said, looking around, "And I gotta get the power back on, catch up on things."

"Well, the firehouse is locked up tight. Even Rerun's gone. But this is the guy with the key in." Angel said, pulling up his pants, retrieving his phone and showing it to Dakota. Dakota grabbed a piece of paper and wrote the contact information down before he looked around.

"I can't say much about what we just went through, and what's still ahead of us. We're still marked by the Tikbalang. But I promise you all, I'll figure this stuff out, and when I do, the spirit world better be ready." Dakota said. Angel and Miguel were moved. The passion, the dedication, the focus of this actual Ghostbuster were amazing. They had so much to learn, and so little time. Angel excused them, the three moving out of the front door after unbolting it.

As the door eased shut behind them, Angel took a breath of the cool night air and looked out at the urban landscape beyond. Miguel looked out, but then back at Angel and Gabriel. They hadn't gotten out unscathed, but he had found them. He'd followed a hunch, investigated it, and returned not only his friends, but a missing person as well. Despite all the victories, it still felt hollow, like something was coming. Still, Miguel knew that they were family. They could face anything as long as they stuck together.