Fic: Soul Reapers (The Who, M7:ATF, Soul Eater Crossover fic, PG-13)

[sparrowsverse]

Title: Soul Reapers
Series: Reaper
Author: Sparrow
Fandom: Magnificent Seven: ATF, The Who, elements of Soul Eater
Characters: JD Dunne, Keith Moon, John Entwistle and the rest of M7
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own The Who or M7: ATF or Soul Eater
Author Note: Just want to say thanks to sierraphoenix for the wonderful beta! Additional information for this story can be found under the lj-cut.
Spoilers: No spoilers
Summary: JD Dunne has always been considered an ordinary, normal, human. That is about to all change.


Author’s Note 2:
TERMS:
- SOUL REAPER is the technical term of a Reaper's Weapon that they use for battle. Can resemble anything. Also known as Weapons. Soul Reapers usually take the form of some kind of weapon or object that best represented them in life. They can change from weapon form and human form, but their housing is in the body of their Reaper.
- REAPER is the technical term of what a person is called who has an otherworldly sense, can sense and see ghosts/spirits, kill demons very easily and send spirits/ghosts on their way
- RESONATE is the technical term for when a Reaper finds a Weapon. The Reaper will slash his or her hand and let their blood lead to their Weapon. Once they find their Weapon or Soul Reaper, they will bond with the Weapon and then the Weapon will be absorbed into their body.

Words in Bold represent Keith Moon’s thoughts
Words in Italic represent John Entwistle’s thoughts
Words Underlined and in Italic represent JD Dunne’s thoughts

The so-called normal world of today has been aware of the Supernatural one since the early nineteen hundreds when a large-scaled war between vampires and werewolves broke out in America. The death toll was enormous, for vampire, werewolf, and human alike. It was a gritty and gruesome introduction to this mythical world.

Surprisingly it didn’t turn ugly afterwards; it was embraced and accepted by many around the world.

It is this world that JD Dunne has grown up in. It is this world that will change him.

~~~

Moonlight shone on the abandon docks of a shipping company in one Colorado, Denver. It was here that Team Seven was led to in hopes of dismantling a ring of thieves who had stolen Soul Reapers.

Soul Reapers are Weapons used by Reapers who are considered Death’s right hand army. They look like ordinary objects or weapons, only those with an otherworldly sense could tell, they and people who are chosen as Reapers at birth. But sometimes, a few will slip through the cracks.

Team Seven themselves were a unique bunch of individuals that formed an impressive team. A mix of humans and supernatural-touched humans, they covered a large spectrum. Chris Larabee, the leader of Team Seven, is wholly human, as is his second in command Buck Wilmington. Ezra Standish is an Empath and is the undercover agent. Vin Tanner or Viviane Tanner is the team’s sniper and gender morph, able to switch back and forth between man and woman, although the rest of the team doesn’t know that fact. Nathan Jackson is the team’s medic and has a heightened sense of touch, which Team Seven often bemoans when injured and he can find with just a touch what’s wrong with them. Josiah Sanchez is the oldest of the bunch and has an otherworldly sense. Strong enough to sense malicious ghosts and other creatures of the night, but not strong enough to be considered for a Reaper position.

JD Dunne the youngest member of Team Seven, having no extraordinary abilities except being a genius in his own right, crept slowly along the wall of one of the warehouses.

That would change before the night was over.

Gun in hand, JD brought it up to a ready position as he peered behind the corner and saw a flash of shadow. He pressed the mic against his throat.

“Teddy One, this is Teddy Seven, do you come in Teddy One? Over.”

“Teddy Seven, this is Teddy One. Over.”

“Something by the south east docks, am going in for a closer look. Over.”

“Understood Teddy Seven. Be advised, Teddy Three and Four are five minutes away from position. Over.”

“Understood Teddy One. Also, Teddy One, next time we do not let Teddy Two pick the code names. Over.” JD laughed.

A chorus of agreement rang over the channel as ‘Teddy Two’ protested and said the code names were awesome and how dare they doubt his code name picking abilities.

Taking a deep breath, the young ATF agent slowly inched his way forward along the wall line. A shadow flickered overhead; looking up JD saw a creature slip into the open window. Steeling his resolve, he kept going along the wall line until he found an opening. Slipping inside, he took a minute to let his eyes adjust to the low light that the lamps overhead provided.

Wind howled through the warehouse, and the long cable lines that held the lamps swung from side to side, shifting the dim light all over the place.

Navigating his way through the maze of boxes, JD looked everywhere for this ‘shadow’. Left, right, up, down. It was nowhere to be found.

JD felt rather than heard the next thing that happened. Claws raked into JD’s back through the Kevlar jacket and flung him toward a pile of crates. Flying through the air, he landed on wood. JD’s eyes went huge as he felt something pierce his leg and arm, and he screamed. He didn’t even realize he had broken the heavy framed crate.

Blood pooled beneath him from the claw marks on his back and from the wood piercing his left leg and right arm. It slowly flowed toward two miniaturized instruments behind JD. A bass guitar and a mini drum set.

JD lifted a bloody hand to his mic.

“Teddy One, this is…Teddy Seven. *coughcough* Found the bastard. O-over.”

The lamp swung and light shone on the creature. It was a demon that oddly looked like a twisted version of an Orc from ‘Lord of the Rings’.

JD’s eyes went huge. “Teddy One, be aware…demon, *cough* the bastard’s a demon!”

“Teddy Three and Four are almost there Teddy Seven!! Hang on!!” JD smiled as Chris screamed his worry into the mic.

JD made sure to turn his mic off as the demon slowly approached his pin cushioned form. He couldn’t move; any attempts would send the piece of wood slowly digging itself into his back further into his body. He was going to be killed.

It was this moment, when JD made his peace with everything, that his blood hit the two mini instruments. They started to glow white. Like an electrical current seeking an outsource it flew along JD’s blood and into his body.

Head snapping up, mouth opened in a silent scream, JD’s eyes glowed as white light poured out of his finger tips, mouth, and nose.

The white light shone brighter and brighter, and the demon shied away from it, a hand flinging itself to its black eyes. Slowly the light diffused. Bringing its malformed talon hand down, it stood face to face with a newly awakened Reaper.

JD was standing up, wood protruding from his body. His once hazel eyes were now a sea of white as they continued to glow and the mini instruments were now huge. A bass guitar was strapped to JD’s back and a cymbal rested in his left uninjured hand.

The demon hissed its displeasure and readied itself for a fight it was sure it could win. After all, the Reaper was newly awakened and injured. Easy pickings.

That was the last thought it had as the cymbal was flung forward and cleaved its head from its body. Zooming back, JD caught it like a boomerang. He continued to stand there, eyes glowing, blood dripping from his injuries; the cymbal was clutched tight in his left hand, while the bass guitar stayed where it was on his back.

It was here that Vin Tanner and Ezra Standish arrived to see their youngest in such a state.

“Can’t feel him Vin, I can’t feel JD!” Ezra whispered harshly.

“What? He’s right there Ez!” Vin gestured at the glowing-eyed JD.

“I know that Mr. Tanner! But my empathy can’t reach him. It’s trying to feel him out, but keeps hitting a bubble.” The southerner gestured weakly, frustrated.

JD then began to scream as the instruments started to absorb themselves into his body. More light poured out of JD, and blood seeped out even faster. Huddling in on himself, JD collapsed as they were fully absorbed. The wood pushed itself painfully against agitated and stretched skin as blood started to pool around JD. He wouldn’t feel a thing as he was blissfully unconscious.

The rest of Team Seven skidded into the room and saw the aftermath. Nathan rushed forward with his first aid kit as he probed JD’s skin.

“What happened?” Nathan asked as he started to unroll bandages and grabbed Vin for him to apply pressure.

“Don’t rightly know Nate. Got here as quick as we could and JD was just standing there, eyes a glowing.” Vin said as he helped wrap the bandages around the various wounds. It would be too dangerous to take the wood out as they were the only things keeping from JD bleeding out.

“Mr. Dunne had two instruments attached to his person. A guitar of some kind and a cymbal. They were absorbed into his body.” Ezra looked pale and grey as he continued to try and reach JD with his gift. But he had no success.

Buck was fidgeting from side to side as he contacted an ambulance to meet them at the abandoned docks. He wanted JD in a hospital now and treated right away.

"Instruments?" Chris frowned.

Josiah meanwhile looked pensive in thought as that statement pinged an old memory of his.

Eyes went huge as he remembered. “Oh, holy shit!”

The other members paused to look at their eldest in surprise.

“Something to share with the rest of the class, Josiah?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, just realized it now. An old memory that just popped up - EZRA!! NO!!” Josiah yelled out as Ezra cradled JD’s head in his hands.

Ezra pushed every bit of his Empathy into JD, trying to find the youngest member of their team. Ezra’s pupils went huge until only a rim of green surrounded black. Giving a jerk and a scream of surprise, his body was flung back by white lightning. Ezra hit the floor hard, a trickle of blood dripping from his nose.

“Ohhhh, don’t think I’ll be doing that again, gentlemen.” Ezra moaned out. “Something’s…in JD. Two spirits…felt like laughter and a mix of thunder and lightning.”

“Shit! Buck, see if you can ring up an exorcist.” Chris ordered.

Buck went to speed dial the exorcist they had on call when Josiah grabbed the cell phone and clicked it shut.

“You won’t need to call an exorcist, Buck.” Angry eyes then turned towards Ezra’s prone form. “You idiot! You don’t try and read a REAPER!!!” Josiah yelled out.

"He's not a REAPER, he's JD!" Buck roared back.

“He’s considered a Reaper now, Brother Buck.” Josiah said, drawing up to his full height and glaring Buck down. He rarely used his height, but he had to make his point known.

Chris laid a hand on Buck’s chest as Nathan hurried over to Ezra. “What do you mean, ‘Siah?” Chris asked.

Josiah drew a hand over his weary face. “When I was a younger man, I was witness to a Reaper choosing a Weapon. ‘Resonating’ the Reapers called it. They would slash open their hand and let their blood lead them to a Weapon to use. Once they found their Weapon, they would resonate with it. The Weapons or Soul Reapers as they’re called would attach themselves to the Reaper and then absorb themselves into the Reaper.”

“They usually grab Reapers at birth, I thought?” Vin asked.

“Normally, but sometimes Reapers slip through the cracks. I slipped through the cracks until I was five; they found me and took me, but my otherworldly sense was not strong enough for them. So they trained me up a bit to make sure it didn’t overwhelm me and let me back out into the world.” Josiah sat down on one of the prone crates, feeling older than his years.

“JD’s never shown any aptitude for any kind of otherworldly sense.” Ezra said as he was slowly helped up by Nathan.

Buck spun around on Josiah with a pointed finger and a triumphant look on his face as if to say ‘I told you so!’.

“His powers could’ve been bound. Maybe they didn’t awaken until now! Won’t know until we contact the Reaper Council.” Josiah wearily said.

“NO! They’ll take him away and we won’t see him ever again!” Buck roared. “That’s how they work!!”

Josiah glared at Buck. “His powers are activated now. You want him to go mad, Buck? ‘Cause that’s what will happen if we don’t contact the Reaper Council. He’ll have to be trained, unless you want him to become a rogue Reaper, Reaping every kind of soul just to stay sane!”

Buck deflated and looked defeated. “It’s… He’s JD, ‘Siah. He’s one of us normal bunch with you weirdos. This isn’t supposed to happen to him.”

Josiah drew Buck into a hug. “I know Buck. I know.”

“I hear the ambulance.” Chris stated. “Gonna go flag them down and bring them in.”

The group nodded, weary and drained.

“Buck.”

Buck lifted his head. “Yeah, Chris?”

“Contact the Council.” Chris said eyes hard. “I’d rather have JD sane and mad at us, than rogue and insane.”

~~~

~*Inside JD’s Body*~

I’m possessed, that’s the only explanation for the current weirdness right now. JD thought. Or I died. That was an unpleasant thought.

“You bloody prick!! You went and died!! How could you? What was in your head that night, Keith?!”

JD watched the two men argue over their deaths. One was in his mid thirties, black hair and a black beard. Angry grey eyes glared out at the shorter man in front of him. They were both dressed in black. The shorter man glared right back at the taller man. Longish black hair, with chocolate brown eyes, also in his mid-thirties - he was called Keith by the taller man.

“Me?! What about you John! If you’re here that means you died too! What the bloody hell did you do to kick the bucket?” Keith yelled out at John, arms crossed.

Here, John looked sheepish. “Um, cocaine and narrow heart valves don’t exactly mix too well when you’re fifty-eight apparently.”

“Bloody hell, you got old.” Keith breathed.

John eyed Keith and then punched the shorter man in the jaw. Keith landed on the ground hard.

“Don’t do that to me again.”

Keith smirked and wiped the blood away from his mouth. “Can count on it, dear boy.”

Nothing more was said of their deaths.

JD meanwhile had buried his head in his hands and muttered. “I’ve died. That’s it, I’ve died and now I’m going to be driven insane by these two.”

Keith and John at this point had looked at the Reaper who resonated with them.

“He looks a little…unbalanced.” John said.

“Well, unbalanced or not, he’s our Reaper.” Keith got up to his feet and tugged on John’s sleeve. “Let’s go introduce ourselves to the kid.”

John and Keith sat down beside their new Reaper who was quietly muttering to himself. John pried the kid’s hands away from his face while Keith grinned brightly at him.

“Hello! Hello! Hello! Name’s Keith Moon, the blighter to the left of me is John Entwistle and I guess we’re your Soul Reapers! What’s your name, ‘because we can’t keep calling you Reaper.”

JD looked at them dumbly. “Reaper? Soul Reaper? Keith Moon? John Entwistle?”

“Kid looks confused.” John smiled.

“M’not a kid! Name’s JD Dunne!!” JD said hotly and then clapped his hands over his mouth. Names had power in the supernatural world and JD just gave a part of his name to two spirits.

Their bodies glowed white and then spread like a pulse in JD’s mind.

“Oooh, that tingled.” Keith grinned.

“Do you know what’s happened JD?” John asked gently.

JD nodded yes. “I’ve apparently died and am now being tormented by two spirits.”

Keith's head fell back and a loud cackle of a laugh nearly deafened JD.

“I don’t think he knows what he is, Keith.”

“Just our luck eh, Johnny?” Keith continued to laugh.

“Don’t call me Johnny.” JD and John said at the same time.

Keith giggled. “Oh, someone else’s first name is John!”

More white glow. "Mmm...." John smiled. "Three Johns in one body." At JD's look, he tilted his head. "His middle name's John."

“Three is a powerful number in the supernatural world.” JD whispered.

John looked at JD. “JD, what do you remember last?”

JD looked to the side and then back at John. Words poured out of his mouth as he told them about the warehouse, searching for stolen Reaper weapons, the demon, his wounds, and then a white light and nothingness. Waking up to these two going at each other.

“We got stolen?!” Keith yelled out as he kicked the ground. “Those stupid Reapers!! Can’t they do anything right?”

John shot Keith a look. “I think I know what happened, JD. Your blood probably hit us, asleep and locked in weapon form. It awakened us. We resonated and got absorbed into your body. WE are your Soul Reapers. Your Weapons.”

“I landed on a bunch of crates and instruments!” JD shouted.

“We are those instruments JD. And now we’re a part of you.” John said gently.

Keith smiled and wove his fingers into John's and then into JD's. "Together. Fated to be."

“I’m so confused.” JD moaned.

“You. Are. A. Reaper.” Keith spelled out slowly and grinned. “Agent of good and defender of small children and puppies.”

“I can’t be a Reaper!! I’ve always tested normal and human on otherworldly tests!” JD said frightened.

John hugged JD close to him. “Shh, it’s okay JD. It’s okay. Nothing wrong with being a Reaper.”

“Probably slipped through the cracks.” Keith stated.

“How?” JD asked bewildered, cheek pressed into the material of John’s black shirt.

“Powers got bound? Activated late? Probably a number of reasons, and we won’t know the answer until we face the Reaper Council.” John petted JD’s hair, trying to calm the frightened young man down.

“Those tossers are the ones who lost us in the first place.” Keith groused. “Why should we go to them?”

“Because, Keith, they’ll be able to find out what happened to JD. He is our Reaper, and we are his Soul Reapers now!” John glared at the drummer. “I don’t like the idea that JD was kept in the dark and we away from him for so long.”

JD smiled slightly at that statement and came to a decision. Standing up, he placed his hand in front of him. “John Daniel Dunne. Friends call me JD.”

Keith grinned and placed his hand on top of JD’s. “Keith John Moon. Call me Keith or Moonie.”

John languidly stood up and placed his large hand on top of theirs. “John Alec Entwistle. Call me Ox or John. Never Johnny.”

Blinding white filled JD’s soul as the three resonated together. Memories were exchanged and passed around. The light died down and molded back into their bodies. Their eyes continued to glow as three tattoos appeared on the inside of their wrists. A drum kit, a bass guitar, and a scythe collected into three points. If you connected lines between all three symbols, you would come up with a triangle.

Their eyes slowly returned to their normal colours and they collapsed backwards as the pure white landscape changed to a field of grass with a sun and sky.

JD started to laugh. “My two Soul Reapers are part of The Who.”

"You're special," Keith grinned. "That's all you are."

John laughed, a low rumble that sent happiness through JD’s and Keith’s bodies. “Three minds, one body. Gonna be bloody interesting.”

~*Back in the Real World*~

Buck paced in the supernatural wing of the hospital, worried sick out of his mind for JD. His body had started to glow with white light on the ride to the hospital. And the Reapers were due within the hour to assess JD’s condition. He turned frustrated eyes at Chris.

“Don’t turn those eyes at me Buck.” Chris said, leaning against the hospital wall.

The rest of Team Seven was crowded around on the plastic hospital chairs. Ezra had escaped from the Doctor’s tender mercies with a prescription and a stern talking down to about not blowing out his empathic abilities against a Reaper. Ezra’s empathy should return to normal within a few days, and he was not to overdue it. Nathan was there the entire time and promised this as he glared at Ezra. Ezra merely smiled and tipped an imaginary hat at the Doctor as he walked out the door.

Vin managed to scrub off most of JD’s blood from his hands, but they were still tinged pink. He alternated from staring down the hall as if willing JD to come and tell them it was all a big joke and staring at his hands.

Josiah was keeping watch near the front doors as he was more familiar with Reapers and would guide them down to where they were.

A Doctor Mann came out in scrubs and headed straight towards an anxious Team Seven. “JD is going to be all right.” Team Seven let out a breath they were unaware they had held.

“He’s very lucky. The piece of wood that was lodged into his back only nicked his kidney. He has an impressive forty stitches for those claw marks and the wood was pulled out from his arm and leg very easily.”

Buck was hugging everyone in sight at the happy news.

“Now, his arm and leg are going to feel a little weak for the next couple of months as the wood did tear the muscle. He’ll have to undergo some physiotherapy to build the strength back up. But he’s a young man, he’ll bounce right back.” Doctor Mann smiled and then left the group.

The happy news was interrupted by Josiah who was flanked by three people in black robes. Two were identical twins, with short spiky blond hair and ice-blue eyes. The third person was an older woman with grey hair twisted into a bun. Glasses were perched on her nose and purple eyes stared out.

Josiah gestured to the older woman first. “Brother Larabee, may I introduce Reaper Malone, head of the North American Reaper division.” He then gestured towards the twins. “Her bodyguards Reaper Nightshade and Reaper Wolfsbane.”

Chris held out his hand. “Reaper Malone.”

“Mr. Larabee. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you and your team.” Reaper Malone smiled and shook Chris’s hand. “A little unorthodox, but good results.”

“I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.” Chris smirked. “How can you help JD?”

“I shall have to see him first and then go from there. I’m afraid this is a little unusual, but I shall do nothing but my best.” Reaper Malone looked determined.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Chris said.

Buck whispered at Vin. “Is Chris flirting with the woman?”

“I think that’s a sign of the apocalypse.” Vin whispered back.

The twins overheard them and glared at Buck and Vin.

Chris glared at Vin and Buck. “Ladies, is there something we need to discuss?”

“No sir.” The two chorused together.

“Will we all be able to be in the room with you?” Nathan asked.

“I’m sorry, but no. I’m afraid it will be just me and JD. It’s very important that we are not disturbed for anything.”

Chris led Reaper Malone, the two bodyguards and the rest of Team Seven to JD’s room. Reaper Malone headed in and locked the door behind her. There was no window for them to peer in. The twins took up positions at the doorway and Team Seven settled in for a long wait.

Sighing, Reaper Malone shrugged off her black cloak and draped it on the chair. Heels, a black skirt with a white shirt, and black blazer completed her outfit. A large hammer was looped into a belt on the side.

Taking off her glasses, she deposited them into her jacket pocket. A look of determination appeared in her eyes.

“All right, JD; let’s see why you slipped through the cracks.” Fingers danced in the air and orange writing appeared. A ghostly image slid away from JD and stood in front of Reaper Malone. She gasped with surprise.

“Oh, dear boy, who did this to you?” In front of Reaper Malone was a past image of JD’s soul. Barbed wire and bandages were wrapped around it tightly. Slowly suffocating him. Eventually, it would’ve killed him.

Fingers danced once again and more orange writing appeared. The past form disappeared, and a present soul image appeared in front of Reaper Malone.

The current soul image burned brightly with white light. Three souls in one body. The boy had managed to resonate with his Soul Reapers. The barbed wire and bandages were gone. And, oh my, this was a surprise. Such an old soul, reincarnated many times. Waving her hand, the soul image disappeared.

Walking over to the prone figure, she turned his wrist over and saw the three tattoos. Tapping out a rhythm on them, JD gasped and sat up suddenly.

JD turned his head towards Reaper Malone. One eye was half grey and chocolate brown, the other eye was hazel. He moaned suddenly as he grabbed his head in his hands. Dark hair with blond highlights flew forward.

“Ow, my head.”

"Welcome back, Reaper Dunne."

JD weakly waved a hand at her as he flopped backwards into his pillow.

“Since resonating with your Soul Reapers, you should have a basic understanding of what will be asked of you. All Reapers are born with this inner knowledge and instinct.” Reaper Malone smiled. “I am so sorry about what happened to you.”

“Wha? What happened to me?” JD whispered.

“Someone bound your soul and your Reaper powers with a very nasty spell. It eventually would’ve killed you. I shall be looking into this matter personally.” Steely resolve glinted in the woman’s purple eyes.

JD blanched at that thought. “Will I be asked to leave Team Seven?” Mismatched colour eyes looked at Reaper Malone sadly.

“No. A Reaper shall be assigned as your Tutor and will help you out. Since your case is so unusual, we must use unusual methods.”

Keith’s grin shone out of JD. “Thank you!”

“I should let your Doctor know what you are now. Those stitches will need to come out within a couple of days. Advanced healing does come in useful.” A grin was shot at JD.

“Yeah, I guess it will.” JD smiled sadly. “I’m sorry I’m like this. It’s a lot to handle.”

Reaper Malone placed her hand on JD’s. “It’s all right JD. I probably would be the same way if it happened to me. I’ve known nothing but Reaper life, it’s hard and very horrifying to think one of my Reapers slipped through the cracks on me.”

JD squeezed her hand.

“I know you’ve just woken up, but I have to impart some training on you, so you won’t be overwhelmed by your new otherworldly sense.” Reaper Malone gestured at a ward above the door. “I think your Mr. Sanchez is responsible for that. Smart man.”

“Good man.” JD said sleepily.

“Can’t fall asleep on me here JD. It’s deep-end training time.” Reaper Malone joked. She tapped out another rhythm on JD’s tattoo. JD felt adrenaline rush through him and he was wide awake.

“What did you just do?” He demanded.

“Little trick, don’t worry, you’ll learn.”

“One question before we begin the deep-end training.” JD stated.

“Shoot, figuratively of course.” She smiled.

“Why can’t I hear John or Keith?”

“Ah, the names of your Soul Reapers. Good strong names. As for not hearing them, you may have resonated with them, but you don’t know how to use them as Weapons properly. Hence the deep-end training I’m going to be putting you through right now.” Reaper Malone took her glasses out of her pocket and put them on. “When your Tutor comes within a week or so, he or she shall show you how to draw them out properly. For now, they’ll just be voices in your head.”

“Ah, nothing different then.” JD joked.

Reaper Malone looked at him curiously.

“Little joke. I’m always bopping my head away to a beat inside my head when working. Buck says I’m listening to the voices inside my head. Ez says I’m just marching to the beat of my own drum.” He gave off a weak chuckle. “Guess I can tell Buck I actually will be listening to the voices in my head now.”

Reaper Malone smiled as she adjusted her glasses. “Learning time now, Reaper Dunne.”

JD sighed and paid attention.

It was a few hours later when Reaper Malone came out of the room, buttoning up her cloak.

“Is JD okay?” Buck asked anxiously.

Yawning she smiled at Buck. “Reaper Dunne is fine. Had to put him through a crash course for his new otherworldly senses, but he took to it like a duck takes to water.”

Buck’s face blanched slightly at the title, confirming that JD now was a Reaper. “Will he be leaving us soon?”

“What? Oh, no! Reaper Dunne will not be leaving you anytime soon.” She waved off Buck’s concerns. “A Tutor will be made available within a week’s time. It is unusual circumstances, so unusual methods will be provided.”

Team Seven smiled at that. JD wouldn’t be leaving them.

“Now, just a few things before we leave. Number one, he is still JD Dunne, your friend. Nothing has really changed. Number two; if he starts talking to air it might be because he’s talking to his Soul Reaper Weapons or a ghost. We normally talk to our Weapons mind to mind, but since he’s new, he might forget. Number three, his appearance has changed slightly, it normally does when you resonate for the first time with a weapon, so please don’t be startled. Number four, I shall personally be looking into the reason why his power was bound. I don’t like it when Reapers slip through the cracks.” She straightened up more. “If any of you have questions or concerns, JD has my phone number. Feel free to borrow it and give me a call. It’s better to ask a million questions, than none at all.”

Giving a slight bow and a nod to each of them, Reaper Malone and her two bodyguards walked down the hallway, out the door and out of the hospital.

They scurried into the room quickly before Doctor Mann and the swarm of nurses could kick them out. JD was fast asleep.

They took in the form of their youngest member. The most startling difference to them was JD’s hair was darker and had a few blond highlights strewn across his hair.

“What happened to his hair?” Buck asked as he lightly touched a few of the blond strands.

“Reaper Malone did say when Soul Reapers resonate together with their Reaper; the Reaper takes on some of the physical attributes of the Soul Reaper.” Josiah said.

Nathan was looking at the chart, while Ezra sat down on the chair and clasped JD’s hand in his own. His own way of dealing with his burnout empathy. Turning the arm over, he noticed the tattoo on JD’s right arm.

“It looks like Mr. Dunne came away inked from his encounter.” Ezra held up the arm to show off the tattoo.

“Tattoos, different coloured hair, what’s next?” Vin asked the room.

“No idea. But we’ll deal with it.” Chris said.

JD shifted in his sleep and mumbled something that sounded like “Keith.”

“Must be the name of one of the Soul Reapers.” Josiah muttered.

Buck smoothed out JD’s bangs as he took in his friend.

The door opened and Doctor Mann poured in. “I’m sorry fellas, visiting hours are over now. But I’m sure if I turn a blind eye, one of you can stay.”

“I’ll stay.” Ezra said.

“No Ezra, you have a headache, don’t think you can hide that from me. Plus you blew out your empathy a few hours ago!! You need rest!” Ezra batted Nathan’s probing fingers away.

“I am fine, Mr. Jackson. I shall stay.”

“Ezra…”

Vin placed a hand on Nathan’s shoulder and shook his head no.

“Call us if anything happens with the kid, Ezra.” Chris said and jerked his head towards the door for the others to follow him.

Doctor Mann watched Team Seven file out of the door and one Ezra Standish shifted in his seat to be more comfortable. Hand still clasping JD’s hand.

“You need the physical contact.” Doctor Mann stated.

“Yes. I can’t feel him up here.” Ezra tapped the side of his head. “I have a small link to all of them and JD’s isn’t there anymore. I… I have to keep a hold of him right now until I can work out how to re-establish that link.”

Doctor Mann nodded as it made sense. “I didn’t get a chance to tell the others, but Reaper Malone stopped me and told me of JD’s new circumstances. He’ll have some accelerated healing, so those stitches will be able to come within a couple of days. And that physiotherapy can be completed within the next two weeks.”

“So, Mr. Dunne can in theory return to work within three weeks or so.”

“Yes, he can.”

Ezra shifted to the side to allow Doctor Mann near the IV to switch the nutrient bag that was feeding JD. After he was done, he made some notes in the chart and left Ezra and JD alone.

Ezra ran a hand over his weary face. “Oh, JD. Wake up soon.”

JD just shifted again and this time mumbled “John.”

Chuckling, the undercover agent shifted his grip on JD’s hand and settled in for a long day.

~~~

It turned out be much longer than a day for JD to wake up. It took three days. In that time his bandages were removed as well as the stitches. Doctor Mann explained that JD’s body was in a very deep sleep and trying to realign itself to the new otherworldly senses that it now possessed.

Team Seven just wanted JD to wake up.

During the middle of the third day, Ezra was at JD’s bedside once again when the young Reaper shifted on his bed and moaned.

“JD?” Ezra questioned.

JD squeezed Ezra’s hand in answer.

“C’mon, Mr. Dunne, time to wake up.”

“Ez...ra?” JD croaked out.

“Yeah, it’s Ezra, JD. Time to open those hazel eyes of yours, Mr. Dunne.”

JD blinked once and then blinked another time, hard. He rolled his head to the side and looked at Ezra. “Why you holding…onto…my hand.” JD mumbled.

Ezra had to stifle a gasp so not to alarm the younger man. JD’s left eye was a mismatch of colours, half grey and half chocolate brown. His right eye was still his normal eye colour.

“You gave me quite the start. Activating Reaper powers like that. I couldn’t feel you anymore. Tried to jump into your head and got blasted for my troubles. It’s blown out right now, but slowly returning.” Ezra looked down at their clasped hands. “Only thing reassuring me you’re still there is when I have physical contact.”

JD looked at him, and then he slowly tugged his fingers free. Sliding his palm along Ezra's slightly, he wove their fingers together and smiled a closed-mouth grin at him. "There." He squeezed lightly. "More secure."

It was this scene that Team Seven came to when they opened the door.

“JD!” They chorused together.

“Kiddo, you’re awake!” Buck said happily as he made his way over.

JD turned his head towards Buck and smiled. “Sure looks like it.”

Buck’s grin faltered a little as he looked at JD’s new eyes.

“What is it, Buck?” JD frowned.

“You’re eyes JD, they, uh, changed.”

“Changed how?”

Vin produced a mirror from his jacket pocket and handed it to JD. Taking it, JD looked at his appearance. He touched under his changed eye and then touched the blond strands in his hair. “Whoa.”

I’ll say. Got a bit of my natural hair colour there JD.

His hair definitely went darker too. I like the eyes though. JD could feel Keith grinning.

JD looked widely around, confusing his teammates. “John? Keith?”

“Who you talking to kiddo?” Buck laughed.

JD focused inwards a bit. “My Soul Reapers…can hear them in my head.”

“Ah.” Buck said awkwardly.

Don’t think Buck is too comfortable with this Reaper stuff.

JD sighed at that. He just needs to get used it guys.

“Are they treating you all right?” Josiah asked.

JD smiled. “Yeah, they know me inside and out, just as I know them.”

The others looked a little stunned at that statement.

“How do we know they won’t betray you?” Chris asked.

That lousy bastard!! How dare he ask that!! Keith started to rant inside their shared body.

“Be quiet Keith.” JD whispered harshly to the side and then looked at Chris. “They can’t betray me. We’ve resonated; any kind of betrayal goes against what they are now. I trust them completely, Chris, mind, body and soul. Just as they entitle me with their trust.”

The mood was broken by Doctor Mann entering the room. “Ah JD! You’ve woken up! If everything goes okay today, I think you can be released later on tonight.”

“That’s good news to hear Doc.” JD smiled.

It was a few hours later, after Team Seven had been kicked out by the doctor, that he examined JD over and proclaimed him disgustingly healthy.

“Advanced healing has its perks.” JD quipped.

Doctor Mann just laughed as JD signed his release papers. Buck had brought over a bag with a change of clothes. Changing into them, JD headed out of the hospital.

Ezra was waiting outside for him with the jaguar.

“No Buck?” JD asked as he climbed in the passenger side.

“He asked Josiah to set up some wards at the CDC and everyone is over there now helping out.” Ezra said as he switched lanes.

“He’s still uncomfortable with what I am now, isn’t he?”

Ezra didn’t answer, but the silence itself was enough for JD.

They pulled up the condo that JD and Buck owned and headed for the door. Pulling it open, JD did a double take, looked at the number on the door and then back inside.

“A definite sign of the apocalypse. The CDC has been cleaned!” JD joked. He took in the clean floors, the clean kitchen. No laundry was strewn about.

“I give it two days before it becomes messy again.” Ezra commented as they walked in the door.

"Two? You're overly optimistic," JD laughed.

“That’s a sucker’s bet right there, Ez.” Vin grinned.

“Welcome home, kiddo!” Buck smiled.

JD looked at his small make-shift family and felt his Soul Reapers send warm happy thoughts to him. Yeah, he was definitely home.

THE END.