Ghostbusters: Regenesis 07 - Stone Cold

Story by Leo_Todrius on SoFurry

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#7 of Ghostbusters

Written by leotodriusTwenty five years after the Ghostbusters pioneered paranormal investigations and eliminations as a business model, franchise departments have spread across the United States. One such franchise operates in Portland Oregon. When evil threatens to destroy the entire world, will our heroes be able to fend them off, or will they fall to their baser instincts?

This story accepts the movies, the 2010 game, "Real Ghostbusters" and "Extreme Ghostbusters" as canon history and combines elements from all four sources.Ghostbusters, the "No-Ghost Logo" and subsequent marks and trademarks are the authorized copyright property of Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures and are used freely per 17 U.S.C. Section 107 aka the "Fair Use Statute." This story is in no way, shape, or form associated with Columbia Tri-Star entertainment or it's works. All intellectual property belongs to its respective owners.


Ghostbusters: Regenesis Chapter 7 (Stone Cold) Written by Leo_Todrius

Silver clouds rolled across the sky with no break or division, but every contour to the clouds gave the sky a unique quality. The Willamette River flowed in the distance, the water a pure periwinkle blue. It was a calm and sedate day outside, the kind of day that inspired the famous photographer Franz Yomen. There were no shadows, but there was plenty of light. It was an amazing balance, one he had come to Portland for after his great success. The Pearl district was perfect with all of its urban renewal and art galleries, a mecca for those like him... even those as eccentric as him, for as many photographs as he had taken in his life, Franz didn't like having his own picture taken. He was reclusive, private, restrained... except when he was working.

The man moved around his penthouse apartment, making sure everything was set up for the week's shoots. The penthouse was state of the art, built with openness and flow in mind. While there were walls in the penthouse, they were free standing and never connected to another. It was almost as if Franz lived in an art gallery, for every wall had the photograph of one of the models he had employed. The penthouse was littered with load bearing columns as well. The outside walls of the apartment were made completely of glass, while the interior walls and columns were all perfectly white. They caught the light of the day and scattered it inside, allowing it to pass through his glass coffee table, his glass kitchen counters and his glass shelves.

The only furniture to evade the design scheme were the expensive black leather and steel chairs and couch, bringing the sophistication up even more. Franz was quite delighted with his penthouse, but even more than that it made for great photo shoots. Franz made sure that he had fine drinks varying from spring water to sparkling champagne, as well as small trays of fruits and cheeses, even peeled grapes. He knew the models wouldn't eat much, they never did... but he still wanted to be a good host. Franz moved around the penthouse, double checking everything before he came upon the reflective metal doors of the elevator. The photographer lifted his arm and checked the watch on his wrist.

"Hmmm, the first model is late..." Franz murmured softly, looking back at his reflection. He had a shaved head, perfectly smoothed. His nose was pointed, his chin was narrow. He had hawkish features, but there was a certain style about the thirty year old. Franz reached for the intercom to buzz the reception level before he realized the elevator had sprung to life and was heading towards his floor. Franz smiled in delight, "Ah good, here at last." He said, backing up for a moment to present himself well.

The elevator doors rumbled gently as they parted, revealing a young man in his late teens or early twenties. His skin was the most incredible shade of Bistre brown, like the darkest of all chocolates. His skin was firm and youthful, his arms smooth and hairless. He was dressed in a very expensive Italian suit with just a tinge of green to the otherwise slick black material. Stylish Italian sunglasses hugged his face and thick, long, perfectly formed dreadlocks hung down from his head, cascading over his shoulders like ribbons of hair. Franz shuddered softly, his breath escaping his lips as he looked at the perfection before him.

"My, you are amazing... What is your name?" Franz asked softly. The model smiled gently, his white teeth glistening in the light.

"Kobe..." The man said, looking around at the penthouse, "You really have amazing tastes... I've always wanted to live up high."

"Well, I'm sure with looks like yours that you're on a meteoric rise. I'm certainly going to do my best to make sure the world can get an eye full of you." Franz said. Kobe chuckled gently, his voice melodic.

"The feeling is mutual." Kobe said.

"Right this way..." Franz said, leading Kobe through the penthouse. The dreadlocked youth looked at the columns, the photographs. He too liked the photographer's taste. Before long they reached the living room. It was wide open and spacious, looking over the skyline of Portland. The warm wood floors were contrasted by the white fur carpet and the glass furniture. Kobe moved out across the carpet, turning to face the photographer. With a surprisingly natural ease, he fell into a pose of a very down to business individual. Striking, cool headed, daring. Once more Franz shuddered, bringing up his camera. He went to take a picture but the camera chirped, citing an exposure error. Franz blushed sharply.

"Problem?" Kobe asked.

"Just... a slight technical glitch." Franz said, "Let me just get another camera." Franz said, moving to open his case. He pulled out another camera and tried it, but the power light on the camera turned from green to orange and the entire camera turned itself off. Franz turned even brighter red.

"Maybe I'm just not photogenic..." Kobe considered, reaching over to one of the food trays to take a piece of ham and pop it into his mouth. Franz chuckled.

"I can assure you, that is most certainly not the case." Franz replied, selecting a much older camera, "Here... Classic film. When technology fails, there's nothing like tradition." Franz said. Kobe gave a smile and fell back into the proper posture, giving the photographer a nice angle. Franz lifted the camera up and started snapping away, rolling the film between pictures, getting really into it. Kobe gave him many angles before he reached up and started loosening his tie, adjusting his suit, making him look 'after hours' and relaxed. Franz murmured in delight, though there was something just a bit off. Franz looked up, "Could I trouble you to take your sunglasses off?"

"Oh, my sunglasses?" Kobe asked, "Just make sure you're ready to take the picture." Kobe said. Franz nodded, getting into a good position. He brought the camera up and gazed through the simple glass viewfinder. Kobe reached up, his hand resting on the sunglasses, letting it linger there for a moment before he removed them. Franz froze in shock as he saw that Kobe had the most intense golden eyes, so bright they emanated light... and his irises were slit vertically, almost serpentine... and then Franz realized that he couldn't see anything but the eyes... He couldn't see the man's face, his penthouse, the overcast, the walls... It was all a dull gray except for the floating orbs...

An intense heat began spreading out through Franz's body, almost too hot to stand... but he couldn't call out in fear or pain. His lips were stiff. More than stiff, they were stuck... stuck in place, stuck together. The pink drained away from his lips, leaving no color at all behind. His lips had turned white, and the color was spreading. It moved across his face, over his chin and up his nose. His nostrils filled in with the appearance of a polished white marble, the same appearance that his face was taking on. The spreading white marble covered his cheeks and dropped around his neck before spreading across his scalp. Every strand of hair turned solid until it seemed to seal together, looking more like a carving than hair... but every detail was perfectly captured.

As Franz's ears turned to stone, the last thing he heard was a serpentine hissing, like the sound of three dozen snakes... but then the sound was gone. Franz had a head of stone and his neck as well. The marble spread faster, his lithe muscles turning to rock. The petrifaction process even moved out into his clothes, his sweater shifting from soft wool to hard stone in seconds. There was a gentle creaking as the marble spread down his arms and up his hands, the plastic beneath his fingers turning into marble, the metal trim losing its luster as it too changed. The marble continued to spread down the photographer's legs and his pants, the cloth turning from black to white in moments before the last changes swept over the man's shoes and feet, every toe perfectly preserved in stone in his loafers.

The last part left untouched were Franz's eyes... the eyes that saw nothing but Kobe's... but soon too they changed, left featureless and plain, gazing eternally outward from the marble. In seconds the thirty year old man had gone from flesh and blood to a marble statue that surpassed the detail of any sculptor. The details were too spot on, too precise... hauntingly good. Kobe stood across the room, admiring his handiwork. Where moments before his head had been adorned with thick dreadlocks, now his scalp extended into dozens of glistening obsidian asps, the snakes writhing and caressing each other. Kobe reached up, his fingers now ending in deadly talons to caress the snakes before he walked over to the statue and looked into the marble eyes.

"Thank you mister Photographer... for such a lovely abode. I promise I'll treat it with care." Kobe grinned gently.

****

The firehouse had often been a quiet place, but it had never been as somber as it was following Nico's suspension. It wasn't something any of the Ghostbusters had wanted to do, but he had put them all at risk, none more than Eli. The whole event had nearly broken Eli, but after several days of doing little more than busting and sleeping, Eli had finally left the firehouse to resume some of his other activities. With Eli heading off to Pioneer school to help with the greenhouses once again, Seth and Gray were alone in the firehouse for the first time in a long while. Gray sat at the desk, paperwork spread out before him. Tax time was always frustrating for him, dealing with the income, the expenses, the refunds, the insurance...

Despite the difficulties, Gray always managed to get control of it and he was pretty sure he'd nailed it all down pat. Gray ran his fingers over the various forms, nodding to himself as everything checked out. Gray leaned back to sigh in relief, though as he leaned back he felt something firm wrap around his neck. Gray's hands shot up to feel Seth's hands. Gray felt the thick leather collar close around his neck and watched as Seth's hands buckled it shut. Gray loved Seth's hands... Not just because of their size or their skill, but ever since the Hoyt Arboretum incident, his fingernails had remained a deep slate gray in color. As the collar was securely latched, a chill of pleasure shot through Gray, his back arching as he moaned.

"Does my pup like that?" Seth asked, leaning in to lick Gray's ear. The Asian boy cooed, his foot starting to tap. Seth growled happily, "I think he does..." Seth said, moving to place a kiss on Gray's neck, starting to suck on the flesh, his lips making lewd smacking noises. Soon blood rushed to the surface, a hickey forming that marked Gray as his. Seth licked at the mark before groaning happily. Gray was ashamed to admit it, but ever since he had been turned into a dog when the metal band Nidhogg had been manipulated by an ancient Norse god, the pet play between him and Seth had always turned him on... and it was surprisingly easy to get into character.

Gray leaned up in his chair and spun around before putting his hands on Seth's shoulders. He leaned in and his lips parted, his tongue sliding out. He started bathing Seth's face in licks, his saliva thick. He licked his cheeks, his lips, even his goatee. Gray leaned in to nuzzle Seth's thick, manly goatee before he returned to the lips, penetrating Seth's mouth with his tongue. Seth grabbed Gray's head, returning the kiss. He reached down to unbutton and unzip Gray's pants, splaying the fly wide, groping around. Soon Seth lowered Gray's boxers, running his fingers through his boyfriend's bush.

Gray started humping against the hand involuntarily, turned on so much by everything that was happening. Seth wrapped his fingers around Gray's shaft, fingers curling tighter as they started to slide up and down, stroking faster and harder. Gray moaned and whimpered hard, thrusting his package into his boyfriend's hand, breaking the kiss to gasp for breath. That only gave Seth a chance to nip and suck at Gray's throat beneath the thick collar, but after several moments Seth pulled back.

"I have a surprise for you." Seth said softly. Gray slowly opened his lust filled eyes, looking at Seth in surprise. Seth reached over and lifted up a box he had brought out. He opened it up and nestled inside was what seemed to be a red canine shaped phallus made of rubber... though one end had a ring, and the center was hollow. Gray looked from the object to Seth in confusion, saying nothing. Seth lifted it out of the box and brought it over, sliding it onto Gray's cock. Gray's back arched sharply as he felt his cock being enveloped. The sex toy slid down and down until Gray's cock was deep inside. Seth slid the rubber ring over Gray's balls, securing it in place before he took half a step back.

Gray looked down at his groin to see a floppy, shiny, thick and long, pointed red canine cock emerging from his lap... Even if it was just rubber, it was damn hot. Gray was about to speak when Seth brought up a leash and clipped it to Gray's collar, wrapping the other end around his fist. Seth grinned broadly before he gave the leash a tug, turning to head to the stairs. A thick gush of precum launched through a hole in the rubber canine cock cover and Gray dropped out of the chair onto his hands and knees, following after Seth.

They moved up the stairs and past the kitchen, heading to the beds. Seth stopped at the end of the bed, reaching to slide his shirt off. Gray crouched on his haunches, trying to appear as if he was a dog sitting upright. He watched Seth undress, admiring every inch of him... His shoulders were so incredibly broad, his back so muscled and perfect... As Seth dropped his pants, Gray realized that he had been going commando all day... his shapely ass was right there... and Gray couldn't resist.

Gray stood up and charged, using all his might to slam into Seth. A man his size never could have done it if Seth was resisting, but Seth didn't push back in the slightest. He topped onto the bed and fell Gray land on top of him. Gray brought his cock to the cleft of Seth's cheeks, rubbing round before the tip started nudging Seth's entrance. Seth's gray fingernails dug into the bed sheets before Gray suddenly thrust, his cock sliding in. It was a rough ride without lube, but Seth loved it. He called out and moaned sharply, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, though he knew too much could cause a bit of pain.

With a careful tug of the leash, Seth caused Gray to shudder, more precum leaking out into Seth's ass. The quickly thrusting cock churned the pre around, allowing Gray's cock to piston in and out faster and faster. Soon Gray's balls were slapping against Seth's ass and Seth was bucking his hips back, maximizing their pleasure. Gray draped himself over Seth, reaching his left hand around his lover's ribs to pinch at his nipple, his right hand moving to find Seth's huge log of a cock.

Seth started drooling as he got the reach around, thrusting his ass back around his lover's cock before thrusting his own into Gray's hand. The two worked up quite a frenzy, moving back and forth, their bodies soon glistening with sweat. Moments gave way to minutes and before long they'd been fucking for a half hour. Both of them had been reduced to drooling buckets of lust, but as Gray expertly slammed into Seth's g-spot over and over, Seth shuddered and came, his cock spraying a thick flood of white all over the sheets before he unceremoniously collapsed onto the bed, panting for breath.

Feeling Seth's ass twitch around his cock even through the rubber, Gray careened over the edge before he tilted his head back and howled, unleashing thick streams of cum into Seth's ass before he too collapsed across the broad back of his lover. Gray and Seth lay there, panting hard, grins plastered on their faces. It had been several days since they had been allowed alone time. Gray felt his heart throb with renewed love that even in the hardest times Seth knew how to make him feel that good.

"Oh my sexy Viking." Gray murmured. Seth grinned at that.

"Good boy." He added, chuckling, the two lingering in the afterglow for as long as they could manage.

****

Blue water dribbled from the watering can as Eli guided it along the flowers in the green house. Ever since he'd been turned into a sort of male dryad, his green thumb had reached new levels. He'd looked up new nutrient mixes and perfected them, bringing the garden of Pioneer High School to new levels. The foliage was so robust that the metal tables weren't quite visible. Eli lifted the watering can up to give the food to some of the hanging baskets of bleeding hearts. When Eli had been young he had loved to pop the little heart shaped capsules, but now he felt bad for being so cruel to them... and to Nico. Eli closed his eyes, taking a deep sigh. He'd come to get his mind off of that for a while, but it seemed that it was going to follow him wherever he went.

"Hey Eli, do you want some coffee?" Lucas' voice came from behind Eli. Eli nearly jumped out of his shoes. He turned around to face Nico's brother, looking at the seventeen year old. His deep brown hair was longer than Nico's, coming half way down his neck, but just like his brother, Lucas' bangs were artfully brushed off to one side, creating a perfect slope. The late afternoon sunlight shone off of both Lucas' braces and the snake bite studs beneath the corners of his lower lip. In each hand he held an extra large cup of premier coffee, the aroma strong and rich. Smelling it made Eli moan in contentment.

"How did you know?" Eli asked gently, accepting the gracious offer.

"You haven't been around for a few days, I know its hard for me to get started back up again and I thought you could use a little boost." Lucas smiled. Eli's eyes lowered gently.

"Have you heard from Nico recently?" Eli asked. Lucas' smile faltered.

"I never hear from Nico... It's one of the reasons I took the time to get to know you, I figured I'd keep tabs on him better. What happened?" Lucas asked. Eli felt even worse. He took another sip of the coffee, a strand of blond hair falling across his face.

"He... cut some corners at work. I think his intentions were good, but it put us at a lot of risk... He was suspended." Eli admitted. Lucas looked a little crestfallen.

"For how long?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know, we've never had something like this happen before..." Eli murmured. Lucas sighed himself, taking a sip from his coffee. Eli looked at Lucas gently, "He won't do anything... drastic, will he?" Eli asked. Lucas shook his head.

"He might withdraw a bit, but no... Even when he was at his heaviest into goth and emo he never really talked about suicide or anything. He made too much money modeling." Lucas said. A fine spray of coffee left Eli's mouth.

"Modeling?" he asked in surprise. Lucas chuckled.

"You didn't know you were bagging a model?" he asked.

"He never told me..." Eli replied.

"I bet not... It isn't the most natural career change, to go from being a model to being a Ghostbuster... But he was pretty popular online, especially in EMOnthly, the Emo calendar blog." Lucas said.

"You knew that much about his career?" Eli asked. It was Lucas' turn to blush as he shifted a bit, tugging his shirt down.

"I stayed invested... I always have thought the world of my older brother... And one day I'll figure out why he got so distant, but for right now I think you should start by checking out open casting calls for models." Lucas said.

"What do you mean 'start by'?" Eli asked.

"Well, you wanted to know how he was... and that he was safe, you're missing him right now... a lot; your heart is really aching..." Lucas said softly, a look of realization crossing his face, as if he was discovering it right then.

"Is it that obvious?" Eli asked, sipping at his coffee.

"Well, probably not to everyone, I've got a gift." Lucas said with a smile, "But... I think you need to wait for the right moment. Sex isn't going to solve this... Nico needs you for more than just... the fun parts. He needs your heart, your trust. It'll have to be rebuilt I'm sure, but it'll work out." Lucas said, turning his head as he heard the bell chime.

"Off to class?" Eli asked.

"Yeah, the start to a brand new day. We're starting an archaeology course." Lucas said, giving Eli a bow of his head before he moved to the doorway, pausing as he looked over his shoulder, "Oh, and try the number three..." he said. Eli looked flummoxed.

"The number three what?!" Eli asked. Lucas shrugged.

"I don't know yet, but I'm sure it'll be important." He smirked before disappearing. Eli looked out of the greenhouse and into the hall before bringing the coffee to his lips once more.

****

Nico took a deep breath to steady himself before he inclined his head, looking up the side of the tall steel and glass tower. It had been a few years since he had modeled... but here he was again. A thin black and purple striped shirt hugged his torso, the collar extra large to expose part of his shoulder blades and breast bone. His pants were baggy and covered in far too many belts. He looked very much the part of an emo boy... something that he hadn't actively tried for since becoming a Ghostbuster. In all honesty he hadn't expected to come back to this life at all, but he had a brand new house to make payments on... and the open call from the infamous Franz Yoman was too perfect to pass up. Nico had called on the phone and arranged the time; all that was left was to show up.

The young man moved into the building, passing through the lobby. He followed the directions around the corner to the elevator shaft that led to the penthouse. He entered the temporary code and stepped in as soon as the doors opened. Still feeling a bit self conscious, Nico reached to press the door close button. The doors hesitated before obeying, rumbling shut and beginning the ascent.

Nico looked down at himself, hoping he had chosen the right clothes. He was out of practice to say the least, and the only person he wanted to show off to was Eli. It was such a far cry from where he'd been even a few months before, using interns like expendable pleasure sources. He knew he had grown as a person, just... not fast enough. Nico stretched to his full height as the doors opened, not wanting to make a bad impression. Nico looked out of the elevator, seeing no one there to greet him. He looked one way and then the other before he stepped out and took a few steps.

As Nico rounded the corner, he came across a life size white marble statue. Its detail was incredible... So life like. Every hair, every dimple, every scar was perfectly reproduced. The figure was clutching a camera, ready to take snapshots. Even the camera's texture was replicated. Nico moved around the statue before realizing there were more. While the first appeared to be a photographer, the others seemed to be more in line with his own profession, models made out of the precious white stone.

"Do you like my collection?" the deep, melodic voice from the phone call asked. Nico turned around to come face to face with the owner of the voice, the tall and lithe Kobe. His suit had been replaced with a loose silk button up shirt, left open to show the contours of his muscles. His pants appeared to be silk as well, running right down to the man's perfect feet, his toes surrounded with precious gold rings.

"They're amazing, so life like... Photo models?" Nico asked.

"Why yes... I find that I appreciate still life... in all its forms." Kobe grinned, "You must be Nico Kingston?" he asked.

"Yes I am, a pleasure to meet you. I've seen some of your work, but never your face." Nico said. Kobe gave a melodic chuckle.

"Well... I have to admit I'm a bit of a shut in, but with such a nice place to be shut in, who would blame me?" Kobe asked.

"Certainly not me." Nico replied.

"Good, good. Let's go to the living room I think, I want you nice and comfortable." Kobe said. Nico nodded gently, knowing that comfort or the illusion of it often led to better pictures. He wandered ahead of Kobe, moving through the penthouse. It seemed every few feet there was another statue, perfectly sculpted. In the back of his mind Nico remembered overhearing something about sculptures on the news, but he couldn't remember any of the specifics. It had been right between his encounter with an ectoplasmic parasite and right before he had been suspended.

"It's a nice place." Nico said, moving out into the living room. Kobe entered, picking up the camera he'd been using all afternoon. When it snapped on it showed the most recent of his victims caught mid pose as he was turning to stone. Kobe set the camera to take more pictures before smiling to Nico.

"Have you modeled much in the past?" Kobe asked.

"A fair bit, some calendars and several blogs... and some private work too, pay sites." Nico said. Kobe purred a bit.

"So your flesh is not entirely virgin to the world I take it?" Kobe asked. Nico chuckled at the choice of words.

"No, I've shown quite a bit before." Nico said. Kobe nodded gently.

"Would you mind showing a bit for this session?" he asked.

"I'll be compensated, right?" Nico asked. Unlike his younger days, he wasn't just going to bare all for the fun of it. He had a house to think of.

"I'll make sure you're taken care of." Kobe said, his eyes drifting to one of the gaps in the apartment where no statue had been set up yet. Kobe lifted his camera sand started snapping away. Nico gave the photographer several poses before he started removing his shirt, exaggerating the movements as he drew the sleeves up, then lifted his shirt. Kobe shuddered upon seeing Nico's abdominal muscles; his skin was so pale already it was already as if he was made out of alabaster or marble. Nico tossed the shirt aside, looking at the photographer, realizing that he had never taken his glasses off. Nico tried to remember a time when he'd seen any photographer keep his sunglasses on, but he couldn't.

Normally that would have been a warning sign, but the portraits on the walls were all magnificent, true works of art. His work spoke for itself... Nico took a breath before his hands moved to the primary belt, unclasping it and withdrawing it. As if it had been the lynch pin to the whole piece, the weight of his pants drew themselves down, leaving Nico in tight purple underwear that outlined his package and his ass. Nico slid his feet effortlessly out of his shoes, standing in nothing but his underwear and black and purple striped socks.

"So good, you truly are amazing Nico... Like a Greek god." Kobe said, unsure why he was so avid about this particular model.

"Who knows, maybe Pan." Nico suggested, thinking back to when he had been possessed by a satyr. It certainly had been an experience. Kobe, meanwhile, was grinning wide.

"Now that'sss the sssspirit... Show me the boldnessssss of Pan, the shamelessnesssss." Kobe said, feeling his temptation rising. Nico looked at the photographer with a hint of hesitation before he bent over, seductively extending his ass into the air as he withdrew his socks, tossing them aside, his toes wiggling into the carpet. At last, his fingers moved to the waistband of his pants, looping under the hem before he pried it away and lowered it. Kobe all but drooled as the underwear fell to the floor, revealing Nico's body in all of its start contrast. His black hair was so crisp against his pale skin, "Now, give me one with emotionssss...." Kobe said.

Nico contemplated for a moment before he thought of Eli. Nico moved, extending one leg out just before him, slightly bent. The other followed a more fluid curve to the ground, giving his legs both angles and curves for contrast. His long member hung down over his ample balls, respectable and plump. He left his left arm hang to his side, but his right hand moved to cover his heart as if he had been wounded. Nico closed his eyes, his face soft and vulnerable.

"How's this?" Nico asked without opening his eyes.

"Perfect... so perfect, I want it from every angle." Kobe said, moving quickly to take photos. Nico held still, keeping the pose until he no longer heard Kobe... In fact, he didn't just miss the sound of the camera, he couldn't hear foot steps. Nico opened his eyes, coming face to face with the golden orbs of a male gorgon. Nico's breath caught in his chest. He couldn't breath, he couldn't move. All of his training was useless... he had been caught in the eye of a gorgon, a medusa... a mandusa. His skin felt like it was boiling, like cement as it cured. The color drained away from his chest as his pale skin lost the little bit of color it already had. His pecs hardened, then his abs. The stone spread outward, pressing through the contact to his right hand. His fingers petrified, his hands next. As the white stone reached his shoulder, it started advancing along his right arm from both ends.

Nico struggled to keep his vision. He could feel his eyes trying to go into some sort of tunnel vision but he felt dizzy as he focused on the rest, looking at the photographer... His dreads had come alive, turning into black snakes that whipped around. His eyes were bright yellow, slit in the middle... his skin glistened like scales under just the right light, and there was something more... The gorgon's serpentine tongue flicked out and tasted the air, almost as if tasting the emotion coursing through Nico.

The stone had passed through Nico's torso, emerging across his back, slipping around his ribs. His entire mid-section was stone, the weight incredibly heavy, but for some reason Nico's legs didn't give out. They were frozen in place, in the perfect position. Nico's ass turned to stone, the perfect orbs as hard as granite. The cleft was perfect, the slightest peek of his pucker visible beneath the stone cheeks. The white marble moved across his groin as well, converting his dark bush before his shaft grew hard in a very different way from what it was used to. The white marble slipped down the shaft, converting it completely. Every vein, every slope, every contour from the mushroom shaped head to the piss slit was turned into perfect marble.

Nico felt his balls turn to stone, just as his legs did and then his feet... He'd always been complimented on his perfect feet. While Nico's heart had turned to stone inside his chest, it still ached... he had never been able to give Eli a suitable apology, he'd never been able to say what he needed to. The only consolation Nico could feel was that Eli would never be hurt by him again, that Eli wouldn't be trapped in their relationship. As Nico felt the marble move up his neck and across his chin, as he felt his tongue stiffen and the moisture leave his mouth, Nico began to pray... he hadn't prayed in years... but he prayed that Eli would find true joy, true love, the companionship he deserved most in the world... and while his lips couldn't smile, Nico felt a slight pang of delight that his last thoughts would be of his love's well being.

As Nico felt his ears harden and his hair start to convert, he shut out the outside world and focused entirely on his memories of Eli... Of their swimming, their picnics, their kissing... Eli's laughter, the sight of him naked on the foot of his bed. Nico felt so delighted to think of the good times, to embrace them and live in them... even as the marble finished covering his head, his hair turning to marble. Slowly the life drained out of Nico's eyes, leaving the blank smooth marble eyes. Kobe shuddered in bliss at the power he had, though he held out his hand as well, skimming off the potent psychokinetic energy expelled during the conversion. He basked in it like a fine meal... As he absorbed the energy, the snakes on his head relaxed, taking on their guise of dreadlocks once more, giving Kobe the cover he needed to draw in more prey.

****

Evening was settling in across the city. The sky was a midnight blue and a chill wind blew along the streets. The glow of the cross walk and traffic lights reflected off of the wet cement, melding into the orange glow of the street lights for one evening haze. Eli held his iPhone up to his ear, his skin a bit clammy in the cold. Lucas had been completely right. His heart was aching for Nico, he needed to at least know he was alright... He'd tried calling Nico's cell phone at first, but after that hadn't worked for several hours Eli felt that something was wrong... Even if Nico was mad at them, he would have responded in the hopes of coming back, or at least quitting for good for closure.

With no response in that amount of time, Eli had taken up Lucas' suggestion to try checking the open requests for models. He'd posed as a business contact in the hopes of not embarrassing Nico, but so far seven agencies and three private photographers hadn't heard from him. Eli was listening to the phone ring on call number eleven, feeling like a deranged stalker. The phone clicked as someone answered.

"Franz Yoman." Kobe replied briefly.

"Hello, my name is Eli Reed. I am calling to inquire if you have seen a Nicolas Kingston recently." Eli said. The words felt like putty in his lips, he'd said them so many times that day.

"Nico Kingston, why yes... He's here now actually." Kobe replied.

"He is?" Eli's heart jumped before he steadied himself, "Is everything going well?" he asked, realizing that he hadn't kept up his pretense at all.

"Oh yes, yes... I'm so sorry that Nico is running late. I'm sure I've kept him too long for some arrangement or another. Let me make it up to you, would you like to come see Nico?" Kobe asked. Eli blushed a bit.

"Well, I don't want to interrupt his work, I just wanted to check in." Eli said.

"Oh, his important work is behind him. I'm sure you'll only add to the atmosphere. Come, come..." Kobe said. Eli tried to remain respectful, but his curiosity was getting the best of him. Eli took a breath.

"Alright, where is your office?" Eli asked. He couldn't see how widely Kobe was smiling on the other end of the phone.

****

The elevator doors rumbled open and Eli looked around, his jaw dropping. He'd never seen a place with such extravagant things... A private elevator, bottom lit podiums holding ceramics, cubby holes in the walls with inset lighting spreading a cream glow... and beyond the wall was the Portland cityscape, glowing with its night time lights. Eli moved out, his reflection catching on the glass. He looked a bit bedraggled. His hair was scraggly, his clothes were askew. He was about as far from a model as one might get. Eli reminded himself that Nico wouldn't care about that. In the corner of his eye he saw the reflection of a person and assumed it was the photographer. He rounded the corner and came face to face with a white marble statue... just like the ones the Ghostbusters had been investigating over the past week.

Eli felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he realized that there wasn't just one statue, but several running along the hallway. Eli's eyes snapped shut and he backed up against the elevator door, his hand fumbling along the wall to find and press the button to send the car back down to the lobby. Once it was on his way, he risked a quick peek to confirm where the statue of the photographer was before he moved behind it and crouched down, making himself as small as possible. He took a deep breath and held it, not daring even to breathe.

For several long moments Eli felt rather silly, but then he heard the echoing footsteps bouncing off the penthouse walls. Kobe moved between the displays, coming around the corner to look at the elevator in curiosity. He could have sworn he heard it, but the elevator stated that it was still in the lobby. Kobe looked one way and then the other. There didn't seem to be any sign of an arrival... Kobe sighed softly, wishing his prey would arrive. He couldn't have baited a trap as easily. The man moved across the outer perimeter of the penthouse, pausing when something seemed out of place... a strip of cloth sticking out from behind one of his statues. Kobe turned around.

"You are a savvy one, aren't you... But I see you..." Kobe called out. Eli muttered, springing out of his hiding spot with his eyes shut. He slammed into a wall and deflected off of it, bouncing back and forth between statues. He heard Kobe coming up behind him, the footsteps echoing on the wood. Eli reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, though the touch screen design lacked any tactile confirmation that he was pressing the right buttons. Kobe continued to follow, chuckling, "What tipped you off? I assume based on your evasions that you know..."

"You've been sloppy, leaving statues all over town." Eli said before ducking a different direction. Kobe slowed, reaching out to run his hand across the burly chest of a marble electrician that had stopped by.

"That's true... That's why I decided to start my collection here. Do you like it?" Kobe paused, "Would you like to see Nico?" he added. Eli froze where he was. There were two possibilities... Either the gorgon had guessed a nickname from Eli asking about Nicolas, or Nico was there... and turned to stone... In either case, Eli was severely underequipped. He opened his eyes to face forwards at his phone and quickly called the firehouse.

"Ghostbusters. We ain't afraid of no ghost." Seth's voice answered.

"I found it, the medusa, the gorgon... Whole collection. Pearl district, the-" Eli's call was cut short as he felt the impact of an arm across the back of his head. Eli stumbled forward, the phone clattering across the floor. Eli clamped his eyes shut tight and continued crawling across the floor, his hand reaching out for the phone. He groped blindly, feeling the hard wood floor, a soft white fur rug... but no phone. Kobe leaned down and picked up the phone, turning it off before he set it aside. Eli continued crawling on the floor, reaching out before his fingers brushed against cool marble stone, stone in the shape of toes.

"Do you remember those toes? Did you ever touch them? What about those legs? Those fine, fine legs." Kobe asked idly. Eli's arm slowed to a stop. He had heard the gorgon well behind him... And according to legend, reflections wouldn't cause the process to start, only direct eye contact. Eli's eyes slowly opened and he looked at the feet... The perfect long feet with the perfect toe nails. Eli's eyes slowly moved up, looking at the shapely legs... and then he saw the cock, hanging there, made of stone... the cock he had worshipped and adored so many times. Eli's fear of the gorgon drained away. It was nothing when faced with the stone visage of his lover. Eli slowly rose to his feet, never taking his eyes off of Nico. He looked at his navel, his hanging arm... and the hand clutching at his chest as if his heart had been taken.

Eli shuddered, his eyes glistening as the moisture collected before a hot stinging tear leaked from the corner of his eye, then another. He came face to face with the statue of Nico, looking at his lover gazing off into the distance, his face longing. Eli sniffed a bit before he leaned in and pressed his lips to Nico's, his moisture slick against the marble. Slowly Eli leaned back, looking at Nico for a long moment. As tragic as it was, it was a very handsome statue... the most amazing statue Eli had ever seen. Eli's head lowered and again he felt tears streaking down his face, following the contours of his cheeks before they dripped from his chin to land on the floor.

"How very touching..." Kobe murmured, "That you would come all this way for him, knowing what you might face." Kobe said, "But you do realize it is hopeless... There's only one way out of this building alive, and you can't watch where you're going to get there. I, however, have the full advantage." Kobe said, reaching up to pull his sunglasses off and set them aside. Eli cringed as he heard the hiss of snakes in the other corner of the room.

"So what are you proposing? That I just give up?" Eli muttered, his eyes sliding shut tighter. Kobe chuckled.

"You've already lost little one... But I'm offering you the chance to be more than just a trophy that I hunt down and convert. I'm giving you the choice to choose how you'll spend the rest of eternity. Do you want to be just another surprised or scared victim, or do you want to be an ageless testament to love?" Kobe asked. Eli had to admit, he was surprised.

"What do you mean?" Eli whispered.

"You obviously love this Nico here... enough to kiss his statue. Do you want to be with him forever, or do you want to be alone forever?" Kobe asked. Eli sorted.

"If you're trying to get me to pose like some doll, I know the legends. He can't be the last thing I look at if I have to look at you to get petrified." Eli replied.

"But it only takes one eye... one out of the way eye... He could dominate your field of vision... Think of how romantic it would be, to be with him forever..." Kobe whispered. Eli's heart ached. It did sound romantic... More than romantic, but it would mean giving up... Then again, the gorgon had a point. He was right there in plain sight of the beast. Anything he tried would be reacted upon immediately. He only hoped that Gray and Seth had gotten a fix on his cell phone and that they had a plan... and plans needed time. Eli was about to drag the negotiations out when he felt a clawed hand curl over his shoulder.

"I take it that my time to choose is running out?" Eli whispered.

"See, I told you you were savvy. I don't need you contemplating everything; I've told you your choices. Solo, or together?" Kobe replied. Eli took a soft breath. He hoped that his sacrifice would be enough time.

"I'll stay with Nico... forever." Eli said gently, "You just better not be lying about how much I have to look at you. You aren't a fraction of the man Nico is." Eli said.

"Very funny... Do you want to be naked like him too?" Kobe asked. Eli blushed at the thought of being naked for the rest of time, but it would take time to undress. More time.

"Yes, actually. It seems fitting, a matched set." Eli said. Kobe's eyes widened a bit in surprise, though he had to say he was a bit pleased. The one thing he would never be able to have was a love that could look him in the eye. At least now he'd be able to always see that love in others. Eli slid off his jacket and tossed it aside, his fingers running up to his damp shirt. The turquoise cloth clung to his body. He peeled it off, and slipped it over his head, dropping it to the floor. His fingers moved to the hair tie holding his blond locks into a loose messy ponytail and removed it, shaking his hair free.

Kobe licked his lips gently, watching Eli undress. Eli reached down, unbuttoning his jeans. He then stepped on the heel of his left shoe to hold it in place as he popped his foot free, then repeated the process before letting his pants sag to the floor. With a deft flick he slid his tighty whitey underwear down, letting the mass of clothes gather around his feet. He lifted one leg and pushed at them a bit before changing legs. It wasn't very effective, but Eli was trying to waste as much time as he could. Once more Eli leaned down, peeling one sock off slowly before removing the other, shivering a bit as the cool air washed over his moist skin. Eli reached down to caress his balls, holding his hands there for a moment.

"What are you doing now?" Kobe asked impatiently.

"If I'm going to be naked forever, I don't want people thinking I'm small... It's cold in here, I want to warm up my balls so they hang just right." Eli said. Kobe snorted.

"You better get into the position you want to be in, I'm not a stickler for such... small... details." Kobe said. Eli grimaced at the insult before he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. He looked at Nico and felt his body relaxing even at the sight of him in stone. He was such a handsome devil. Eli considered his actions for a moment before he chose the perfect position for himself. He put his left leg next to Nico's, bracing himself with the same leg for support. Eli's left hand reached out and rested on Nico's hip while his right reached up to rest on Nico's hand, covering his heart. With his body in position, Eli leaned in, once more pressing his lips to Nico's, feeling the heat of his body leeched into the cold marble.

Moments passed and still nothing, but Eli was about as ready as he was ever going to be. He opened his eyes to see Nico's face, but just off to the side, just behind Nico, Kobe was there. His glowing amber eye reached into Eli's soul, delving into him. Eli tried to shudder, but his body was stiff, paralyzed. Eli felt his toes stiffen as they suddenly felt red hot. The color blanched out of his toes as they hardened, turning into marble. The color spread over the soles of his feet, his heel and then it spiraled up, covering his ankles and thighs. The stone worked upward fast, coating the surface of Eli's legs but sinking into them as well. He could feel his blood slow, his muscles firm. The intense heat of metamorphosis was giving away to the chill of inert stone.

Kobe watched in delight as Eli petrified, moving around to watch him. Every person froze just a little differently. Kobe hadn't seen anyone have such a straight forward freeze before. The stone passed Eli's knees and moved up before his ass cheeks hardened, almost as perfect as Nico's. Eli's balls hardened, the color draining as they became stone... though the heat generated by the transformation relaxed his sack, letting it hang lower and larger than before as it became stone. Eli's cock was next, half hard and hanging before him. The stone crept up Eli's stomach and spine, his ribs aching as they turned solid. Eli felt as if he was suffocating as his chest became stone, locked forever in one position.

Kobe licked his lips in glee, watching as the stone swept over the boy's shoulders, its upward advance slowing as the energy focused on converting his arms. It descended rapidly, leaving marble muscles in its path. The energy reached Kobe's hand on Nico's hip, the stone fusing together. Likewise, Eli's other hand adhered to Nico's above his heart. With both arms converted, the energy resumed its upward journey. Eli's neck turned to stone, then his jaw felt heavy as his cheeks burned. His ears turned white, his chin, then his hair. The blond drained away as it turned to highly carved stone. It seemed the petrifaction was closing in around his face.

The white marble converted Eli's forehead, then his nose, surrounding his eyes. Eli felt his lips burn as they started turning into marble and Eli imagined it as the heat of Nico's kiss... and with that thought, Eli's thoughts disappeared. His eyes and lips were just as much stone as the rest of him. He was inert, lifeless and still. Nico and Eli stood in the penthouse, naked and embraced for the leisure of Kobe. Kobe sighed happily to himself, feeling that nothing could possibly be better than what he had accomplished... at least until he heard the elevator doors clatter open again. Kobe let out a soft growl.

"Some people are persistent..." Kobe muttered, looking at the two stone lovers, "What were you, some kind of kinky foursome?" he muttered before he moved off through the penthouse, advancing on his new targets.

Gray and Seth moved out of the elevator, each equipped with a pair of modified ecto-goggles in addition to their regular equipment. The proton packs hummed with power on their back, the red lights pulsing. The lenses of their goggles were pitch black, though the sensors were still active. Gray signaled for Seth to go left while he went right. The two moved, heading around the wall the elevator was built in... though it was disorienting for them both. It seemed as if they were wading through a world of negative color, where everything was pitch black unless it moved in relation to the busters. It gave them a fuzzy sense of the penthouse they moved through, but the real test would be when they saw movement that was not related to their own. A figure stepped out in front of Gray before stopping... though when the figure stopped, it disappeared from Gray's view. Gray quickly started moving his head around, bringing the image back. Kobe chuckled in surprise.

"Talented... Innovative." Kobe murmured, "But they are just toys." He said before he lunged. Gray depressed the button of his proton blaster and the crackling red and orange energy arced out. Kobe was clipped and went spiraling back, his dreads turning into a writhing mane of snakes hissing in disdain. Kobe evaded Gray, moving between the walls. He passed through a doorway before he felt the air build with energy, springing back just before a proton stream passed through where he had been. Seth's stream continued on, striking the penthouse window. The entire glass panel exploded outwards, the air whistling as the wind was exposed. The stream danced off into the night harmlessly.

"You boysssss sssssure like to play... But you wouldn't want to break any of the people here, would you? I've got quite the collection... Maybe you are the onesssss the blond boy called? You really ssssshouldn't disturb him, not after he found Nico." Kobe chuckled. He turned around and came face to face with Grayson as the ghostbuster came around the corner, though Gray wasn't quite looking in the right direction, almost as if he didn't see him. Kobe waited until Gray looked away to back up and stand between two of the other statues, holding still. He watched as Gray moved around, trying to find him. He looped around one of the walls and came back around, walking right toward Kobe. As Gray passed in front of him, Kobe reached out.

"Nicccce try." Kobe hissed as he plucked the goggles off his face. Gray snapped his eyes shut but Kobe reached, prying one open, gazing in deeply. Gray looked shocked... and his expression stayed that way as his nose turned into stone, the white marble spreading outward from there. It blossomed across his face, sweeping through his hair and down his neck. Kobe watched as the backpack straps turned to stone and the jumpsuit faded from tan to white... though his powers seemed to be having a bit of trouble on the proton pack itself. The stone fought for every inch, spreading down the pack, turning metal to stone as it moved.

There was a harsh chirping that suddenly filled the air as the proton pack sent out an alert of being compromised, but the sound was cut off. The red lights at the base flickered before they went dead... and with that, the pack finished turning into marble. Gray continued turning to stone, the jumpsuit shifting easily. Even the trap hanging from his belt solidified. In moments Gray was solid marble like all the others, though the proton pack was truly impressive in stone. Every detail was perfect.

Around the corner, Seth had realized what the sound had meant... Not only were they vulnerable, but their equipment was too. He was running out of options. Seth moved into the next room and looked around, pausing as he saw Nico and Eli out of the corner of his eye... At least he thought it was them, the goggles made it rather hard to see. Seth crouched down and rolled out his trap, setting the foot pedal down so he could activate it at a moment's notice. He looked one way and then the other, trying to narrow in on his target. There was nothing for a long moment before there was a sudden blur. Seth turned to open fire but Kobe tackled him, knocking him back. Seth landed on the ground, the gorgon clawing and scratching at his stomach. The claws shredded his jumpsuit and slashed into his skin, but he ignored the pain and grabbed onto his goggles, holding them in place.

Kobe's snake hair started nipping at Seth's hands, tiny fangs piercing the skin. Seth grunted in surprise as his fingers started feeling numb and lethargic, the strength draining from his hands. Kobe moved and grabbed Seth by the collar of his shirt and pulled him upright, using all of his strength to pull Seth back up onto his feet. Seth tried to fight back, though the venom was spreading further through his body. His arms fell weakly to his sides and he had difficulty standing, starting to wobble under the weight of his pack.

"You are not going to be a waste of a statue... I have certain aesthetic demands... No slouching." Kobe muttered before he grabbed the goggles and pulled them from Seth's face, staring directly into his eyes. Seth grunted as his body went stiff, his back arching before it locked in place, the muscles hardening at once. The stone started spreading out from there, sliding around his ribs and across his stomach, his tattered jumpsuit hardening into stone. Seth tried to growl, but nothing came out. The heat burned along his chest and his hips, spreading outward from the core of his being. His shoulders grew heavy, though the weight was amplified as the straps to his proton pack turned into marble. The petrifaction continued into the pack, crackling as it converted the positron collider, ion stampeeders and neutron regulators. The stone hesitated as it approached the nuclear disc generator but soon it began to slow before it lurched to a stop, the nuclear materials alchemized into base stone. The pack let out a sorrowful chirp before it turned solid.

With the proton pack neutralized, the petrifaction continued unhindered. Seth's waist was stiff, his posterior solidified and his thighs hardened. His arms had long since drained of color. Even his electrical gloves had turned into white stone. Kobe continued gazing into Seth's eyes in ultimate victory, watching as the human was drained of his vitality, his life. Seth's neck hardened, then his cheeks. The white marble reached his long goatee, the reddish brown strands of hair in the tuft hardening into white, meshing together until it was a solid carved piece of stone like a pharaoh beard. Seth's face locked up, his cheeks and nose turning white before his hair did as well. The stone crept down his legs, covering his boots and sinking into his core. Kobe watched as the last patches of flesh disappeared from Seth's body until only the eyes remained. Kobe got such a perverse pleasure watching the life drain from them as they solidified, becoming blank and featureless... and with that, silence filled the penthouse once more... Pure silence, still silence.

Kobe sighed softly, taking a deep breath, basking in his victory. His hands released, dropping the goggles he had been clutching to the ground. He pivoted and moved, walking between the statues in his living room, looking off to the far corner of his apartment where the night air spilled in. Kobe knew he would have to get the window fixed... or he'd have to find another place to live, but for the moment he was too tired to worry about it and his form was more substantial than most. All the cold did was make him a bit sluggish. The gorgon continued across the fur carpet, turning and flopping down onto the couch.

It had been more difficult than he expected, but he had still accomplished his goal. He was on top of the world and no one could stand in his way. Kobe leaned back, spreading his arms over the back of the couch, his head resting on the black leather cushions. It was peaceful... and he had stored up enough statues to nourish him for years. Kobe closed his eyes and surrendered to the peace, drifting toward a light slumber when he heard a strange noise... a cracking noise. One of his glowing amber eyes opened and he peered around, but nothing seemed out of place. His eye closed and he basked in the quiet for another moment before another crack came, and then a third.

Both of Kobe's eyes opened and he slowly rose to his feet, starting to move through the penthouse. Had he missed someone? Was there another threat? He sensed no movement, nothing out of place. Perhaps it was the window, or other damage settling... Kobe was about to give up when he heard it behind him. The gorgon turned around, looking around. Nico and Eli were where he left them, Gray was still there... Everyone seemed to be in place, nothing stood out - except for the spot of gray. In a house of white and clear, the gray stuck out like a sore thumb.

Kobe slowly turned to look at Seth. He was still frozen in place, right where Kobe had defeated him... but the statue was changing. Everywhere that had originally been skin was changing color, the white marble being etched away and converted into a stone like volcanic basalt... His proton pack and uniform were still white marble, but the stomach revealed beneath the torn stomach on the uniform was gray. Everything organic seemed to be gray instead of white... and his form was still changing.

Kobe crouched down to look at Seth's gloves... the white marble seemed very cracked and splintered... and then, with no warning the glove shattered as long, curved gray claws pushed out from his fingertips. The crackling grew louder as the gloves splintered all the way up, falling away, revealing gray basalt wrists and hands. Seth's petrified boots shattered next, falling away from massive clawed paws rather than feet. Kobe backed away from the monstrosity, not knowing what to make of the transformation at all. As Kobe backed up, the straps of the proton back shattered, the device falling to the floor. Shortly after, the jumpsuit shattered across his entire body, raining down to the carpet like broken egg shells.

Seth's statue stood in the center of the living room, poised in his massive naked glory. He was a true figure of strength, but Kobe could see the statue was still growing larger. The stone seemed to vibrate before there simple was 'more' of it. Seth's ribs spread apart, his legs crew longer, his spine stretched... Even his arms expanded. Kobe jumped as the stone seemed to pop, Seth's pectorals expanding, his abdomen defining into a perfect ten pack of muscle. More creaking came as the stone nearly started bubbling. Just ahead of his hairline, two lumps formed that began stretching out, curving and rising, forming into massive demonic horns. Seth's ears expanded too, stretching into points.

"What in the world?" Kobe muttered, looking at the being he had turned to stone, turning into something else entirely. A sudden crackling sound came as the stone across Seth's back cracked and split before two writhing gray leathery wings emerged, stretching out to either side, flexing and contorting. The stone above his ass splintered as well before a long spaded tail spilled out of his body, whipping around in a fluid grace. The edges of the stone melded seamlessly into the leathery flesh, and then it seemed his entire body started to shimmer, taking on life again as the stone turned into gargoyle hide. Dark gray eyelids closed and then opened again, revealing bright amber eyes. Seth's lips parted and a fang filled mouth unleashed a hiss before a clawed hand slashed out, catching Kobe around the waist. The gorgon was knocked off his feet, hurtling across the room.

Kobe came crashing down through the glass coffee table, landing roughly, coughing in shock. The gargoyle took a step, then another, leaving the place of his petrifaction behind. He strode over to where Kobe had landed and slipped a clawed hand around the gorgon's neck. The dreadlocks reverted to their black asps and tried to bite the hand, but their fangs were unable to penetrate the tough skin. Kobe gazed up at Seth, trying to bore into him but nothing happened. The large gargoyle lifted Kobe up until his legs dangled above the ground.

"You can't turn a gargoyle into stone..." Seth said, "And you're going to pay for turning his friends into stone." Seth growled before he hurled Kobe with inhuman strength. The gorgon slammed through a shelf of glass, skidding across the floor as he was showered with the shards. Kobe coughed and sputtered, bracing his hands on the floor before he lifted his head up, his eyes glimmering. He reached up to wipe a drop of green blood from his lips, looking at Seth with an almost manic expression in his eyes.

"Do you realize what this means? I don't have to be alone... I can't turn you into stone; I can look into your eyes!" Kobe said, rising to his feet, "Don't you see? We could have anything... the whole world. You and I..." Kobe said, "I promise... I can make you love me, I can be whatever you want me to be, I can give you anything you want in this world..." Kobe said avidly. Seth looked over at the gorgon.

"There's only one thing in this world I want right now." Seth replied.

"What is it?" Kobe whispered. Seth leaned down and picked up a small black and silver rectangular box, one side covered in yellow and black stripes.

"This." Seth said, aiming it directly at Kobe before he stepped on the foot pedal. The doors snapped open and white light shot outward, enveloping Kobe. He was pulled off his feet, his snake hair hissing in terror, his fingers digging into the carpet... but the energy was too strong. His voice became inaudible as the field engulfed him and then he was gone. The trap doors slammed shut and the light began blinking, indicating that it had been filled. Seth stood, holding the trap fill of the creature, looking around curiously.

Around the corner there was a clatter as Franz dropped his camera to the floor, screaming out in shock... but he looked down at his hands as they returned to normal. His clothes, his skin, it all seemed normal. He turned, watching the life bleed back into an entire hallway of models. Their entire bodies seemed to blossom as their clothes gained color and their skin tone returned. Seth strode over to where Gray was, reaching out to hold him when he reverted, though he turned his head, looking to where Eli and Nico were. The two stone Ghostbusters stood in their embrace, locked in stone for a moment longer before life returned to their lips. The stone blanched away as flesh returned, their faces freed, their heads, their necks. Nico blinked gently before he inhaled sharply, realizing Eli was right there... and that they were kissing. Nico broke the kiss, panting softly.

"Eli?" Nico whispered, unable to move anything below his shoulders yet.

"Just shut up and kiss me." Eli whispered. Nico closed his eyes and leaned back into the kiss, their lips wrestling before Eli pried Nico's lips apart, plunging his tongue into his lover's mouth. Nico nearly swooned, so happy to have that tongue back. Feeling returned to Nico's chest and he felt a warm hand on his above his heart... and soon he felt another hand on his hip. Despite the kiss, Nico glanced down, realizing Eli was naked. Nico groaned in lust, pressing forward, starting to hump Eli. Eli shuddered and pressed back, their cocks rubbing together as blood rushed into the member. Nico moved his arms to wrap around Eli, clinging to him as the stone left their feet, their bodies returned to normal. Seth watched the two collapse onto the blanket, humping and kissing like a pair of animals. Seth smiled softly at the sight before he heard Gray gasp for breath. Seth returned his attention to his lover, holding him in his arms. Gray blinked his eyes before he looked up, groggy. Slowly Gray tilted his head.

"Seth? You're a gargoyle..." Gray whispered.

"Yeah, I guess I am... That form must have imprinted on me or something." Gray said softly, his voice incredibly deep.

"It could have left some sort of trace in your own psychokinetic energy... Did he turn you into stone?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, but then I turned into this." Seth grinned.

"Lucky for us..." Gray whispered, "I guess turning into stone jumpstarted it... But how do we turn you back?" Gray asked. Seth grinned softly, his fangs exposed for a moment.

"We worry about that later. I'm going to take you to a roof top and we're going to have a romantic evening." Seth whispered.

"What about Eli?" Gray asked, looking around before he saw Eli and Nico together, his eyes wide, "Oh my..." Gray whispered.

"They're fine... I think we all deserve a break. Now come on, I'm going to make sure I'm not the only one as hard as stone." Seth said, hoisting Gray up in his arms.

"You are so damn romantic, carrying me around all the time." Gray whispered.

"I know." Seth replied with a smirk, turning to head for the nearest exit... which happened to be a broken window. Eli and Nico looked up in shock as Seth took flight, his wings catching the air currents as he and Gray sailed off into the distance.

"Now I've seen everything." Nico whispered.

"Let's get some dinner." Eli blurted. Nico's eyes widened.

"You mean... you and me? Dinner, together? Like a date?" Nico whispered. Eli nodded softly, taking a deep breath.

"The first date of our new relationship. We're going to rebuild it and we're going to do it right, completely apart from the job... Assuming you still want to be with me." Eli said gently. Nico gave Eli a snarky expression.

"Of course I want to be with you. You're the best part of my whole life." Nico said, "Now the big question is if you want Mexican, Chinese or Thai." Nico replied. Eli looked at Nico for a moment before he remembered what Lucas had said.

"The third one... Let's have Thai." Eli whispered. Nico grinned wide.

"I was hoping you'd say that, I love Thai." Nico grinned, moving to help Eli up slowly. The two looked around before gathering up their clothes, pulling them on as best they could. Noticing the trap, they grabbed it as well, putting it into secure mode. Once dressed, they made their way through the penthouse, moving over to the elevator. Several models had lined up to wait for it while Franz wandered around.

"My penthouse..." he whispered softly, looking at the damage. Nico and Eli rocked back and forth on their heels for a moment, relieved to escape the awkward moment when the elevator finally opened... and then additionally amused to be crammed into an elevator full of male models. Still, Nico couldn't take his eyes or his arms off of Eli. The two gazed into each other's eyes as the doors rumbled shut and the elevator descended once more.

****

Seth's claws clicked as he landed on the firehouse roof, taking several strides to slow his momentum before finally coming to a stop. His wings stretched and flexed a bit before they folded behind his back, his tail swaying around like a content house cat. Gray was still held aloft in Seth's arms, but his face had been buried in Seth's ample chest, gnawing and tugging on his plump leathery nipple. His skin was so strong there wasn't anything Gray could do to hurt him and he'd gotten a little wild, tugging on the nub of flesh. Seth groaned in delight at the sensations, moving his clawed fingers to comb through Gray's dark black hair.

Gray's free hand moved to assault the other nipple, causing Seth to shudder even more. Seth loved how horny Gray was... and he loved that he had gotten to experience the gargoyle form again. He was so big, so powerful... but there was a temptation in it. Seth knew that if he had the power too that he would coat Gray in stone, to convert him into a gargoyle lover... and to pound his ass with his rock hard cock for the rest of eternity... but Seth also knew he would do the right thing. After a night of pleasure he'd submit to Gray's experiments to return him to normal and they'd continue their lives together. Still, there was that night.

"I think it's about time I return the favor from this morning." Seth said. Grayson pulled off of the nipple, licking his lips before he looked up into Seth's eyes.

"The favor?" Gray asked. Seth grinned a fang filled smile.

"Yes... I think it's time I give your ass a stretch." Seth said. Gray shuddered softly before he grinned. Seth moved, bringing his claw to Gray's jumpsuit, hooking it in the zipper before drawing it down. The cloth parted, revealing Gray's chest, his stomach... and then a very red rubber canine cock. Seth chuckled, "You kept it on during the mission?" he asked. Gray blushed.

"I didn't want to take it off, it was too fun." Gray admitted. Seth grinned, wrapping his huge gargoyle hand around the rod, stroking it up and down. It had kept gray semi hard all night, but soon Gray was bucking and moaning in lust. Seth gave Gray several long strokes before his hand went back about removing the jumpsuit from the human. It proved to be a less than easy situation as the cloth got caught around his ankles. Seth bore his fangs and used his claws to cut the jumpsuit free, leaving Gray wearing nothing but his heavy boots and his cock extender.

Seth maneuvered Gray around him and Gray moved to help in the process. He slipped his legs around Seth's waist, straddling him. He leaned up to lick and slurp at his rubbery pharaoh beard, eliciting a deep grin of pleasure from Seth, but soon Gray gasped and his back arched. Seth's huge pointed phallus was nudging between Gray's cheeks, forcing the globes apart as the tip nudged Gray's entrance. The shaft was far from human at over a foot long, covered in bumps and ridges and rubbery pointed barbs. It was the tool of a true beast... and Seth began pushing it into his lover.

Gray's eyes rolled into the back of his head as his anus was stretched wide by the pointed, bulbous head of the gargoyle's cock, and then with a satisfying pop the head slid in... The muscle closed around it, clamping it inside, holding it in. Seth wasn't going to stop there though. He pushed in more, Gray's ass stretching and contracting over every single contour. Gray's body stiffened as Seth's cock bumped his prostate and sent a wave of pleasure through him, but soon he was spasming as every ridge on that long cock rubbed the same spot. Seth's clawed hands gripped Gray's hips, holding the flesh, pulling him down onto his lap like a sex toy... and he knew Gray was loving it.

While Gray had never used anal beads or anything remotely similar, the idea occurred to him as he felt the ridges of the cock sliding in, one after another. He really had no idea if it was similar, but boy did it feel good... and then Gray took a slower breath as he felt something against his abdomen. Gray looked down softly to see a slight distended portion of his gut pushing out over a pointed tip. Gray's head tipped back and he moaned, so completely over the top. His balls seized up and his cock unleashed torrents of cum all over Seth's belly... but his cock remained hard, it had no choice. Gray was in too much lust.

Seth grinned deeply and started to lift Gray up on the cock and then force him down again, sliding in and out, building up momentum. The human writhed on the cock, his fingers digging into his palms in such exquisite pleasure. Seth looked at Gray's naked neck, seeing the hickeys from that morning... and all the untouched virgin flesh that had been covered by the collar. He leaned in, nuzzling his face against Gray's neck, kissing the skin, sucking on it before he began to bite. Gray felt the teeth press against his skin and he let out a coo, nearly going limp in Seth's arms before more cum gushed from his cock against Seth's ten pack. The hot semen ran down across his muscles and dripped over the gargoyle's balls.

A deep growl came from the gargoyle as he claimed his mate, spreading his mouth wide, placing it over a large portion of Gray's throat. He licked and sucked at it deeply, the entire area reddening before he applied just a bit of pressure, his four primary fangs managing to just barely break the flesh. As tiny droplets of blood leaked out, he licked them up and slathered the wound with saliva until the holes naturally clotted. It hadn't even been as intrusive as a shaving cut, but to both males it meant everything. Gray's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he had a third orgasm, his body becoming even limper... except for his cock. Gray could feel that his brain had absolutely no dibs on his blood supply, it was all destined for his shaft... and he rather liked it that way.

Seth continued filling Gray hard and deep, playing his g-spot like a xylophone, the huge cock sliding in and out... but Seth felt his huge balls tug up closer to his body, his shaft starting to pulse. With one last powerful thrust, Seth slid as deeply into Gray as he could, holding it there. The entire length throbbed as it brought forth Seth's load. Life returned to Gray's body as he let out a moan that became a full fledged scream of ecstasy as he felt the incredibly hot and unusually thick sperm flood his ass. It was unlike anything he had experienced before, almost like a thick syrup or molasses, but it was so good... and not just for Gray.

Feeling the most intense orgasm of his life, Seth lifted his head to the sky and unleashed a mighty roar of pleasure that made the very air vibrate and the building shake. Car alarms began going off all around as the shockwave of sound reached them, but for Seth it was only a mark of pride. He was incredibly manly and he had mated Gray well... Slowly Seth lowered down onto his knees, using his tail to keep him upright, holding Gray to him. Gray had an incredibly intense look of bliss on his face. Seth merely smiled, leaning down to kiss Gray. Their lips pressed, their tongues danced and their bodies basked in the afterglow. Seth murmured in delight and closed his massive leathery wings around Gray, protecting him from the elements as they drifted into a waking lustful slumber, neither wanting to move an inch.

****

Gentle music drifted through the Thai restaurant, complimenting the warm mood lighting. Small trees set in artfully painted pots were placed at various points through the restaurant and antique tea pots and vases were positioned to add to the décor. Lovingly stained wood diving walls separated the tables from one another, providing an element of intimacy for every table. Eli stood in wonder as he gazed at it, taken aback by the splendor.

"Welcome to Thai Orchid. Two today?" The server asked, his black hair sleek and feathered."

"Yes please, a nice out of the way spot." Nico said, having come there before.

"Very well sir, right this way." The server said, leading them along. Nico took Eli's hand and walked with him across the dark vermillion colored carpet, coming up to a table in the far corner overlooking the window. Sitting in the center of the table was a small vase with three lilac colored orchids. Nico moved to pull out Eli's chair for him. Eli blushed and sat down, letting Nico push it in. Nico moved around and sat down, gazing across the table as the server put out the silverware.

"Would you like anything to drink to start with?" the server asked, pulling out his pad of paper. Nico gave Eli a lop sided grin.

"Do you trust me?" he asked. Eli couldn't suppress his smile.

"Completely." Eli replied. Nico turned to the server.

"Your house tea for both of us... Pad Priew Wan for Eli here and Pad Ga Prau for me... We'll share a Gaeng Ga Ree curry and for desert... Mango ice cream." Nico said. The server wrote it all down and smiled warmly.

"Very good choices. I will bring your drinks out shortly." The server said, taking the menus before striding away. Eli looked across the table, practically glowing.

"You are really something..." Eli whispered. Nico smiled gently, reaching a hand out over the table. Eli returned the favor and rested his hand in Nico's. Nico looked up at Eli with a bit of sorrow in his eyes.

"I was worried for a while today that I'd never be able to tell you again how truly sorry I was, from the bottom of my heart... and I never want to put myself ahead of you again. I don't even understand how I could have, you are too special to me... Too precious." Nico said. Eli blushed.

"You don't have to be that sorry... You don't need to let it eat you up. I mean, you should have asked me but... what you did to me was to bring us closer, and I guess I can't fault the sentiment of trying to look for the good in ghosts... I know there are some good ones out there, we just... can't take risks." Eli said. Nico nodded in understanding. Eli looked back up after a moment, "You never told me you were a model."

"I guess I didn't... I didn't tell any of the Busters. When Seth and Gray found me on a call and I trapped the ghost as a civilian, they just up and offered me the job. I didn't really look back." Nico admitted.

"You made a damn fine statue." Eli added. Nico burst out laughing.

"I feel jealous, you got to see me in my naked glory but I didn't get to see you... Although waking up to a kiss like that was damn hot. How in the hell did you know that would work out?" Nico asked. Eli shifted a bit.

"I didn't... But the gorgon was right, I wouldn't have gotten out of there without him capturing me and making me look him in the eye. I had to buy Seth and Gray some time and honestly, the thought of being stone with you forever was kind of romantic so... that's what I did." Eli admitted. Nico nearly cooed at that.

"You are such a romantic... and you glow like the sun when you're happy, you know that?" Nico whispered. Eli blushed more, brushing his blonde bangs out of his face.

"Well you are as romantic as the moon." Eli countered, smiling. Nico chuckled at that before he reached over and pulled one of the orchids out of the vase. He leaned across the table and slid it through Eli's blond hair until only the flower stuck out. Nico took a long look at Eli before he leaned in and their lips met once more. Eli's eyes fluttered shut, as did Nico's, and the two remained kissing for quite some time. Their lips rubbed and moved with the most minute expressions, their lips moist and warm. When the two finally broke their kiss, a thin string of saliva connected their mouths for a moment as they pulled back just a few inches from each other, but they couldn't yet stand to be apart. Once more their lips came together before they parted, their tongues tangling in an intimate and passionate embrace. At long last Eli felt as if he was home again, but for Nico it was the first time in his life he felt completely and truly complete.