Fic: Better or Worse (The Who, M7:ATF Crossover fic, PG-13)
Title: Better or Worse
Series: Second Chances
Author: Sparrow
Fandom: Magnificent Seven: ATF, The Who
Characters: JD Dunne, Keith Moon, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and the rest of the M7.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own The Who or M7: ATF. I own the original characters.
Author Note: This series has hijacked my brain and has produced some of the most amazing fic I’ve written in the past few years. I hope everyone is enjoying themselves as we watch what kind of trouble our boys can get into. Many thanks to jennytork for letting me toss ideas at her. Also, many thanks to nesmith for the wonderful beta and my constant asking ‘is the fic beta’d yet?’. She was a saint of patience with me.
Spoilers: Please read Second Time’s the Charm, Collision: Past and Present and Flip Side of Reality for any of this story to make sense.
Summary: Sequel to Flip Side of Reality. Team Seven make their way to check on their youngest member in Quarwood. They get taken along for a wild ride with The Who.
Story #1: Second Time's the Charm
Story #2: Collision: Past and Present
Story #3: Flip Side of Reality
Keith sighed as he looked out into the forest and grass at the south end of Quarwood. He became king of his perch on a stone wall.
It had been three weeks since he had awakened in control of JD’s body, and JD, tired inside their shared mind, would answer only in monosyllables. It felt empty and lonely. He missed his friend, his brother, his twin. Whatever that bastard cursed them with, it was clearly taking its toll on JD.
He made sure to call Judge Travis, bypassing Chris entirely to ask for more vacation time. JD certainly had enough saved up and it was needed, but it was getting harder and harder to lie to the rest of Team Seven.
Pete had discovered he could retract his wings into his body, leaving only tattooed representations on his back.
Roger seemed the most normal of them all, which seemed a bit unfair considering the rest of them had more visible physical effects. Even Pete questioned the unfairness of it.
"Why does everything happen to us and you come out almost normal?"
Roger shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno, really. It's a mystery."
Finding his mischievous side once again, John had taken to climbing up walls and then lowering himself on a web line in front of someone to scare him silly. To be fair, John shouldn’t have done that when Roger was practicing with his newfound ability. The contractors were still wondering on how the hole had happened.
Easing himself off the stone wall, Keith staggered up the hill and into the mansion. He flung himself onto a chair and lay there quietly. He felt drained and tired, like something was pulling at him in different directions.
He hadn’t felt this bad since he first came back to London from California.
Curling up into a ball in the chair, Keith fell into an uneasy sleep.
~*Keith/JD’s dreamscape*~
~Can you see the real me? ~
Moaning, Keith tossed and turned in his chair; his mind was another matter.
He found himself back in front of the shattered mirror, broken shards still all around them. JD sat on the other side, head to the side, legs splayed out in front of him and a dull glazed look in his eyes.
“JD?” Keith inquired; he squatted down a few feet away from the mirror frame. Any more and they would merge again-there would be pain again. They both didn’t want that.
“K-k-keith…don’t feel…s-s-so good,” JD moaned from his position.
“Me either Johnny.” Keith suddenly found himself in the exact same position as JD.
"G-get away from me, Keith..... we g-gotta be apart to feel b-better...."
"...think you're right..... but h-how...."
There was a tinkle of glass and suddenly Keith felt a hand seize his collar and JERK him backwards....back....back...
Until he opened his eyes and found himself sitting in a chair on somebody's bony lap. He frowned and looked over to his side. Seeing a shock of black hair and a slender young figure, he sighed. "JD..." he moaned, standing up shakily and then seeing Pete walk by. ”OY! FLYBOY!"
Pete stopped and backtracked to the living room, doing a double-take at what laid in front of him. “Keith?”
“No, it’s John Lennon-of course it’s me, you daft bugger! Help me out with JD.”
“Keith! You don’t exactly look like yourself at the moment,” Pete got out as he moved over to help them.
Keith gave Pete a puzzled look before turning around and seeing his own body on the chair. “Pete, that’s me body in the chair.”
“Very good Keith, would you like a cookie?” Pete grumbled.
Still staring at his own body in the chair, Keith managed to score a hit on Pete’s shoulder to the side and moved forward. He brought his hand up to cup his body’s cheek, when chocolate brown eyes flew open. “Hey, Johnny.”
Eyes that were hazy and confused looked up at the body he was supposed to be in. “Keith? Whatcha’ doing in my body?”
“Me amazing act of body switching with a new twist.”
“Oh this is going to be bloody confusing,” Pete said off to the side.
JD’s lips twisted into a Keith Moon grin. “This is gonna be bloody fantastic, that’s what it’s going to be is.”
Keith removed his new body’s hand from his previous body’s face and watched as JD shuddered and then slumped unconscious. Eyes narrowed in concern and he touched the cheek again. JD shuddered awake.
“Shit,” Keith groaned out. “I don’t think we can go away from each other yet. Guess we need contact with one another while we build up strength. We haven’t been doing so good since we got back from the Faery realm.”
Pete slinked away to go and grab John and Roger.
Keeping his hand in contact with JD, Keith slid it down his neck and shoulder and arm until he held his hand.
“Feeling a bit better, Johnny?”
JD nodded. “Yeah, stronger than I’ve been feeling the past three weeks.”
Keith smiled. “Good.”
They both turned to the sounds of approaching footsteps and voices.
“And I’m telling you two, after all that’s happened, what’s so hard to believe that they went Wonder Twins again?” Pete growled out.
Roger was just about to retort when he ran into John’s back. “Oi, John! Move!”
John stepped to the side and let Roger come forward. “Thanks, you bloody wall,” he said, then stopped short. “Keith! JD! How in the world?”
“Faery Realm ring a bell, Goldilocks?” Words that would look right coming from Keith Moon’s lips came instead from JD’s mouth.
“Guess this is our power, Roger,” JD said from Keith’s body and chuckled. “Wonder Twins Power Activate, right Pete?”
Pete grinned.
John looked between the two of them. “But you’re not in your proper bodies.”
“One of the slight hitches in this, John me boy,” Keith quipped.
“What’s the other hitch?” Roger asked.
“We kinda need skin-to-skin contact to keep JD mobile here; if not, well, he collapses and goes unconscious. Hopefully we’ll be able to extend the distance, but until then . . . ” Keith shrugged.
"Shit," John sighed.
After the expletive left John’s mouth, both Keith and JD went rigid. Keith’s body seemed to absorb itself into JD’s body. Spasming violently, JD’s body hit the ground hard.
“Well, it can’t get any worse,” Pete said out loud.
It was at that point there was a loud buzzing sound coming from somewhere.
John and Roger as one smacked Pete on the arm.
“That would be the gate buzzer.” Sighing, John walked to check the security monitors. Roger and Pete quickly followed. What happened next was the most creative swearing that was ever heard in Quarwood as they took in the rest of Team Seven at the gates.
“I’ll take JD back to bed.” Pete quickly ducked out.
“Uh, I’ll go help him.” Roger made to move but found he couldn’t as John had a good grip on the collar of his shirt.
“You’re coming with me, Roger.” John said quietly. He walked towards his front door to the intercom system, dragging a protesting Roger with him.
Roger tried to get away. “I’m too young to die, Ox!”
“You’re a perfectly respectable age of sixty-four. You’ll be fine.” Gathering up courage, John pressed the intercom button to the front gates.
"---answer the damn PAGE for one thing!" a Midwest-accented voice erupted into their ears.
Roger’s eyes widened and he bucked hard to get out of John’s iron grip. All he succeeded in doing was nearly choking himself.
John’s lips twisted into a quirk of amusement. “Entwistle here. What brings you six out over the pond?”
"We want to see JD," Chris said.
“Why? He’s on vacation. I thought the point of a vacation was to relax and not get dragged back into work,” John shot back.
Roger made ‘Are you crazy motions’ with his hands and face.
"Vacation was up two weeks ago," Vin said.
John sighed. “Did any of you bother to check with Judge Travis? JD told me he approved some more vacation time with him. He’s apparently due.”
"There's a world of difference between vacationing and hiding," came Josiah's words of wisdom.
John let go of the intercom button. “Stubborn lot, aren’t they?”
Roger raised an eyebrow. “They care for their brother, just like we do.”
“I guess I better let them in before they break down the gate. Just have no bloody clue as to what to tell them what happened to JD.” John ran a hand down his face in frustration. He pressed the intercom button once again. “You lot can come in.”
Roger watched John press and hold another button for a few seconds.
John let Roger go. “Go warn Pete they’re comin’ in.”
“Aye, aye Captain!” Roger gave a jaunty salute and jogged lightly towards where Pete and JD were.
John braced himself for battle and opened his front doors to welcome his ‘guests’.
~~~
Roger caught up to Pete and a shaky upright JD.
“Who’s in control right now?”
“Me, myself and I, Roger,” came JD’s Boston accent.
Roger turned his attentions towards the guitarist. “Did you tell him what’s going on Pete?”
“Haven’t had a chance, went to haul him upright, he came to and then you just walked in.”
Roger gave a ‘why me’ gesture. “JD, the rest of Team Seven is here.”
JD went as white as a sheet. “What? Why?”
“Well, Josiah’s made the most sense. ‘There’s a difference between vacationing and hiding.’”
“I’m not hiding.” JD said petulantly. “I just can’t go anywhere.”
“Well, other than the twin power thing happening, I don’t see why you can’t go anywhere.” Pete stated.
Tell them, Johnny.
“Guess I’m gonna have to come clean here. Every time I try and go past the stone wall outside, I start having violent spasming attacks. I have a little bit of an idea on why, I think it’s ‘cause I’m bound to either you guys or this house. Or at least, the ‘Keith’ part of me is. He just doesn’t want to let go now that he’s here.”
That’s not true Johnny!! I want to head back to Colorado!!
Maybe the conscious part of you does, but what about the subconscious?
Shit.
Agreed.
~~~
John watched through lidded grey-eyes as the six men trekked up the long walk to his mansion. He would’ve offered a car, but the driver was off today and he didn’t have a license. He felt a little bit of satisfaction at that thought.
He understood intellectually that these men had claim on JD now, but in his heart, JD and Keith belonged to him, Roger and Pete. All these men had done was get JD shot at, put in danger and probably a lot of other stuff he didn’t know about.
Of course, The Who hadn’t really done anything to stop Keith when he went on his benders, drank alcohol and popped pills. But they had a second chance in JD. And he wasn’t willing to give up that second chance.
Jealous, him? No, why would anyone think that when all he wanted to do was take his Tommy gun to them like he had with Roger’s records, bury their bodies in the woods and make some excuse about them changing their mind and going home.
John sighed and plastered on a small fake smile as they got nearer. Sometimes the heart didn’t always listen to what the mind understood.
“Where’s JD?” Buck almost demanded.
John smirked, “Here and there. Not too sure at the moment, he went off with Pete and Roger. I really do fear for the structure of my home with those three together.” This was technically true, John mused.
"Then let him come home and that won't happen," Chris snarled.
“JD can go home anytime he wishes. I’m not keeping him here,” John rumbled. Chris Larabee was starting to annoy him. “He was the one who was asking for extra vacation days. Maybe he needs the extra break. A lot has happened to him in the past eight months; has he had any time to really breathe?”
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Buck roared.
“Well, when you find out you have a past reincarnation, have said reincarnation take over your body for two months straight and then get shot, recover only to get tossed back into work without any time to think about what’s happened you’ll see what I mean, Buck.” John’s fingers were itching to take his bass upside all their heads Pete Townshend-style; nobody would convict him, perfectly understandable.
"Gun runners don't take vacations," Chris shot back.
“And apparently neither do Federal Agents,” John shot back at Chris.
"We can't afford to."
“Well, what good is a Federal Agent if they’re too mentally and emotionally exhausted to chase the gun runners? JD was and still is taking the extra vacation to be better and be there for you six for when he comes home.” JD was all battered when he first came to Quarwood, but John had seen the lingering exhaustion in his eyes.
"He's not comin' home, is he?" Nathan rumbled.
“He is, he’s just gotta work out through some stuff. He has two homes now, but he wants to come back home with you six more than remain here. Heaven knows why,” John laughed.
They crossed their arms.
John tried to come across as innocent. “Would you six like to come in and see JD?”
"YES," they said in unison.
“Follow me.” John took them into his home, past all the medieval decorations, his collections of basses. The odd fish on the wall. And came to the scene of a laughing Roger, Pete and JD, tears streaming down their faces.
“I can’t believe you did that!” Pete roared.
JD giggled, “Oh yeah, but the look afterwards was so worth it!”
Roger had fallen to the ground, banging the floor with his fist, laughter erupting from his throat.
John shook his head.
“He looks fine,” Buck hissed at Chris, taking in the scene with his eyes.
Chris frowned.
“Do not be too sure, Brother Buck,” Josiah quietly rumbled as John walked over to be let in the joke. The other three, still laughing, never noticed their presence.
“He looks like a bit of weight has been lifted off his shoulders,” Ezra quietly said.
“He also looks like he’s lost some weight and hasn’t slept very well in a while,” Nathan whispered, hands itching to check his friend.
“He looked like that before he left for this vacation,” Vin said. “Just couldn’t really tell under all those bruises.”
John tapped JD on the shoulder and jerked his thumb back towards Team Seven. JD’s eyes widened as if he were caught in headlights before his face was schooled into a careful smile.
“Hey guys!” JD gave a small wave.
Nathan rushed forward first, hands exploring all over JD’s upper body. “What in the world have you been doing to yourself, JD? You’ve lost weight, you have bags under your eyes and you look like you haven’t been getting enough sleep. I thought the point of this vacation was to relax!?”
JD’s eyes narrowed in annoyance and he took a step backwards, nearer to The Who. “I’m fine, Nathan. I can take care of myself.”
Pete frowned and caught John’s and Roger’s eyes.
This did not go unnoticed by Chris, Josiah, Ezra and Vin. Nathan looked a little hurt by the sudden movement of JD stepping away, but steeled himself.
“Aw c’mon, kid, Nathan’s just worried about ya. Don’t know what for, you look fine to me.” Buck grinned good naturally.
“Right,” JD said flatly. “What are you guys doing here?”
“We’re here because we’re worried about you.” Vin said, deciding to cut right to the chase.
“Well, as you can see, I’m fine, Vin.” JD said, waving a hand over his body to show how fine he was.
“Sure son. That’s why you have bags under your eyes. You’ve suffered some weight loss and you look like you’re about to keel over,” Josiah rumbled.
JD’s eyes narrowed and he stepped back even further near The Who. “I’m fine.”
“Now JD-” Nathan began in his ‘doctor knows best voice’, when JD exploded.
“I’m fine, damnit! Leave me the hell alone!” JD yelled out. Eyes burning with anger, he walked past his teammates and out of the room.
Pete frowned in concern, putting a hand out to stop John from following their little brother; he went past the stunned ATF team and after JD, leaving John and Roger to deal with the aftermath.
Pete quickly found JD at the stone wall, breathing hard. Swinging his legs over the side, he sat next to JD and waited.
JD leaned to the side and rested his head on Pete’s shoulder. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just felt so angry at them for no good reason. I know they’re worried about me and stuff, but it was like I couldn’t control the anger. Neither could Keith.”
“It’ll be alright, JD,” Pete murmured.
“I hope so. Maybe this is more side effect stuff from the Faery realm.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Won’t know for sure unless we find that Faery Queen again and find out exactly what she did to us. And I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.” Pete grinned.
JD weakly grinned back. “Stork.”
“Overgrown brat.”
“Birdbrain.”
“Schizophrenic.”
JD laughed at that, even though it was far from the truth and yet in a way it was truth now. Suddenly he started to gasp for breath, hands flew to his head and JD moaned in pain.
Ice-blue eyes widened in concern and steadied JD as tremors started to wrack his body.
Muddled confused eyes looked at Pete. “I don’t feel so good, Pete.”
“Easy does it JD, we’ll get you back inside and have Nathan take a look at you.”
“’Kay.” JD slid backwards into Pete’s waiting arms. Hauling him into a fireman’s carry, Pete hurried back to the mansion with his precious cargo.
In record time Pete made it to the side door of the mansion, banging the door open he started to bellow for Nathan. “NATHAN!! MOVE YER ARSE!! I NEED SOME HELP HERE!!”
Pete laid JD out on the floor and watched him twist his body as if fighting off some invisible attacker.
John, Roger and Nathan skidded into the kitchen, the rest of Team Seven just a few feet behind them.
Nathan rushed over to JD and Pete.
“What happened?” Nathan asked as he started checking body temperature and JD’s pupils.
“We were talking outside and he started to shake and spasm. He looked at me and said he didn’t feel good and then collapsed. I carried him back here and yelled for you.”
“I thought that whole spasm thing stopped when Keith got absorbed back into JD?” Buck asked as he fought his impulse to go comfort JD.
Suddenly John, Roger and Pete looked uncomfortable. “That might not be exactly true,” Roger began.
“Keith is still there,” Chris stated.
John met Chris’s gaze. “Yes, he is.”
“Why didn’t he tell us?” Buck asked softly.
“He didn’t say,” Roger said.
“Guys, this isn’t helping JD any at the moment. Questions can be asked once he’s conscious and well. I can safely say he has a very high fever, but I’ll need my bag to double check.”
JD was still moaning and tossing and turning. His eyes opened suddenly, a hand snaking out and grabbing Pete by the neck. He dragged Pete down to his mouth and whispered something in Pete’s ear; JD’s eyes fluttered close, the hand went limp and fell to his side.
Pete was white as he stood up carefully, Roger looked at him concerned. Pete shook his head to indicate ‘not now’ and John led Nathan to JD’s room as the other’s lifted JD up to take him there.
It was later on in the evening after they had bundled up a feverish JD in bed that the rest of Team Seven found Pete, John and Roger at the bar furiously whispering at each other. A whisky bottle was opened, already halfway done.
“Sure…him?” came from Roger.
“Sounded…scared…gotta…out…him…” Pete shot back.
John was quiet as he nursed his drink, but his eyes were boring a hole into the table top of the bar.
Team Seven surrounded The Who, questions in their eyes. “You know more than you let on, good sirs,” Ezra began.
The Who turned towards Team Seven, and three sets of eyes narrowed at the statement.
“Even if we did, which we don’t, what makes you think we’d share with you?” Pete asked as he crossed his arms.
“If it concerns JD, then we have a right to know,” Buck said.
Before any of The Who could argue back, Josiah interrupted. “We’re all worried about him. If you know something, then it might be best to let Nathan know, so he can treat him better,” he said, trying to play the diplomat.
Pete, Roger and John exchanged looks and seemed to come to a decision. Just as John was about to say something, thunder and lightning crackled outside. The mansion went dark as the power went out. Emergency power flickered back on, but only a few lights were lit.
The Who shivered slightly, feeling like something else was in the air. It almost felt exactly like last time they got taken to the Faery Realm.
Roger’s eyes widened in realization and he raced towards JD’s room with Pete and John on his heels. The rest of Team Seven were left in the bar looking at each other in confusion and they too quickly followed in confusion.
Roger skidded into JD’s room and saw that it was empty. A flash of shadow caught his eye on the window. Racing towards it, he saw JD walking towards Keith’s old thinking spot. Turning on his heel, he raced past John and Pete, only muttering a quick “Keith’s old thinking spot”. The two changed direction and followed Roger. Team Seven still looked confused as they followed The Who.
Bobbing and weaving down the twisting hallways of Quarwood, Roger made it outside and put on more speed. John and Pete quickly followed him.
Team Seven looked amazed that three old men could move so quickly.
“How in the world are they doing that?” Ezra asked amazed.
“No idea, but we’re gonna find out. It’s all connected somehow,” Chris said. With that, Team Seven quickly raced after The Who and JD.
Team Seven came to the scene laid out before them. Pete’s left shoulder was bleeding heavily and in his other hand was a bloodied knife. John was talking to JD and Roger was knocked out cold. What shocked them the most was JD’s kind hazel eyes were a cruel green.
“JD, fight him! You can do it, don’t let the bastard win! You beat him once, you can do it again.”
JD smirked. “How do you propose he does that, spider-creature? Especially when I have full control of this body. Your precious John Daniel Dunne and Keith Moon are mine to do what I like. Now if you don’t mind, I have some lightning to ride home to.”
“JD?” Buck asked in confusion. “What’s going on, kiddo?”
“Oh yes, the other family members,” sneered JD.
“Maybe another reincarnation?’ Nathan mused.
“More like a possession,” John shot back.
“What do you mean, possession?” Chris asked.
But before Chris could have his question answered a lightning bolt shot down to the ground and engulfed the smirking form of JD Dunne.
“NO!” Buck screamed, trying to reach his friend, but Josiah held him back.
“Shit!” John yelled.
Rain started to pour on the disheartened men. Shock on their faces, each for different reasons.
Buck surged forward to where the lightning had struck, trying to search for some form of JD. “JD? JD? JD?!”
Pete rested his hand on Buck’s shoulder. “He’s not here, Buck. That thing wearing JD’s body has gone back to the Faery Realm.”
Buck snarled and grabbed Pete by his shirt. He propelled himself forward; Pete landed hard on the ground and Buck landed on top of the guitarist. “What kind of shit is that, Townshend?! Faery Realm? JD is gone and all you can do is spout that kind of crap? Been dropping acid lately?”
Pete’s eyes mirrored pain from the knife wound and anger at that accusation. But before he could retort, he found himself hauled upright and Buck dangled high in the air, held one-armed by John Entwistle.
John shook Buck and brought him back down to face level. “That’s enough of that, Wilmington. JD is more important right now and you acting like a bloody three year old is not helping anyone.”
John, still holding Buck, turned towards the stunned Team Seven. “Right, you lot, we’ve got things to do and one of them is to find a way to the Faery Realm to rescue JD.”
“Let go of my munitions expert,” Chris growled. Everything was spiraling out of control. It had been since he first found out JD was Keith Moon.
Cool grey eyes looked at Chris Larabee and John dropped Buck. Buck scrambled backwards until he hit Josiah’s legs.
“What in the world is going on? I think after everything that’s happened so far we deserve an explanation,” Ezra said.
John and Pete sighed. They quickly told what had happened to them since JD first got the mansion. As they told their story Nathan hurried over to the downed singer to assess his wounds. Proclaiming him just knocked unconscious, they continued their story as Nathan continued his ministrations on Pete.
“So, this Lux character is somehow possessing JD?” Josiah asked as the story ended.
Pete nodded. “We’re not sure how, but that’s the truth. We need to find a way to the Faery Realm and rescue him. In what little we saw while avoiding guards and whatnot, Lux is evil.”
“How do we know yer tellin’ the truth?” Vin asked.
Pete sighed; he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Shrugging off his t-shirt, he winced as he pulled at the shoulder wound. Taking a deep breath, Pete searched inside and found the trigger that freed his wings.
With a mighty whoosh they burst from Pete’s back.
Six faces -- Even Nathan's -- turned ash-pale at the sight. Nathan moved and touched one, yelping. "WARM! They're REAL!"
“Of course they’re bloody real,” Pete said. “Didn’t just glue these on me back for the fun of it.”
"So," Chris said, jaw setting. "How do we get there?"
“Took a lightning bolt last time.” John said. “At least I think so, bit blurry.”
Bell like sounds started to surround the group and Pete grinned. “I think that’s our ride, fellas.”
Realization dawned on John as light engulfed their eyes and they were swiftly pulled into darkness.
~~~
Pete awoke to the same dark void with light shining on all the others and the Faery Queen hovering in front of him.
“Fancy meeting you here, your majesty.” Pete quipped.
The Faery Queen smiled slightly. “It is good to see you again, Pete Townshend. I wish it was under better circumstances. I have need of you and your friends once again.”
“This has to do with Lux being in JD’s body.” It was a statement, not a question.
The Faery Queen merely nodded yes.
“What’s happened? How did Lux get in JD’s body? I thought he was killed!” Questions poured out of Pete.
“There was a prophecy that spoke of Lux’s demise and he apparently made the necessary plans to ensure his survival after his death. The Lux in JD’s body is merely an echo, a strong echo, but an echo nonetheless. It can be contained.” Here the Faery Queen tossed a silver flask at Pete. “Get him to drink this and the echo will be pulled from your friend’s body and he will be restored.”
“Are JD and Keith okay?”
“It has been five years since JD was pulled into this realm from the lightning bolt. He is trapped in his mind and Lux is making use of having a ‘twin’ to do his dirty work.”
Pete grimaced at the wording. “What kind of dirty work?”
“Keith Moon has become Lux’s personal bodyguard and assassin.”
“NO!” Denial flew from Pete’s lips.
“All is not lost, Pete Townshend. There is still hope. Look for the man in black in the castle and he shall help you out. He has been my trusted spy for the past four years.”
“Man in black? Isn’t that a little too Princess Bride?”
The Faery Queen smiled, “The rest of JD’s friends shall too be altered to help in this quest.”
“Wonderful, bet that lot is gonna love that,” Pete groused.
The Faery Queen came close, kissed Pete on the forehead and the shoulder wound healed. “Good luck.”
Blackness crept back into Pete’s vision as he was pulled into another kind of darkness.
~~~
Roger eyed the altered group of Team Seven, still unconscious on the ground. Pete was already pacing, feathers flying all over the place as he wanted to go. John had gone slightly ahead to get a lay of the land. They had been dropped off at a different point than last time.
The Who were wearing the clothes they wore last time they were here. Team Seven were clad in various dress, leather pants, open vests and tunics.
“What’s got you all ruffled, Pete?” Roger quietly asked.
The birdlike creature that was now Pete Townshend turned his head towards Roger; beak clicking slightly. “Big stuff. When everyone’s awake I can share it. But suffice to say it’s big and concerns JD and Keith.”
Roger ran a hand down his face in frustration. “Wonderful.”
John came back ten minutes later to the sounds of groaning coming from Team Seven as they slowly started to wake up.
Buck was one of the first ones to start stirring and gave a low moan as he tried to get up. Tried being the operative word. He was altered into a satyr form and with it came a different set of legs. The Who watched out of sight as Buck rolled onto his back, opened his eyes, and sat up.
“HOLY SHIT!”
“Ugh, not so loud, Buck,” came from Vin, who had been altered into a centaur and had yet to open his eyes.
Roger, Pete and John watched Buck pinch himself several times to see if this was a dream or reality. Stepping forward, Roger made his presence known to Buck.
“It’s all real, Buck.”
Buck swiveled his head to meet Roger’s, eyes opened in disbelief, his arm shooting up, finger pointed. “What in the hell happened to you?! You overdose on the fountain of youth or something?”
“Or something,” Roger grinned wryly.
John at this point came forward, followed by Pete. “C’mon, let’s get the others up and running. We’ll explain what’s happened.”
Buck’s eyes went even more wide as he took in John and Pete, all going to various different creatures and waking them up.
Chris turned out to be the humanoid cat creature near the tree in the patch of sunlight. He swatted Pete’s attempts to help him as it looked like he was trying to go back to sleep.
John was helping to steady a shaky Vin on four legs instead of two. Roger found Josiah as he flittered about in the air. He was a small type of fairy.
Nathan and Ezra were the two surprises. Nathan, it appeared, had the power to go back and forth from man to woman. Ezra was a shape shifter, but currently had no control as he kept flickering from one form to another.
Buck finally managed to get up on his new legs. “Will somebody please explain what the hell is going on?!”
“Magic, mate,” was Pete’s reply, he finally managed to get Chris awake, somewhat.
“Magic,” came a flat reply from Vin.
Pete quickly summarized what happened last time they came here and how the altered forms were to help them blend into this realm.
“What good are these forms if we can’t even control them?” Nathan asked as he shifted from man to woman to man again.
“Practice and instinct,” John said. “You’d be surprised at how much the instinct will help you out.”
Ezra had his eyes closed; sweat beaded his brow as he managed to keep to his original shape.
“See!” Roger said pointing at Ezra. “Takes some practice and trial and error, but you’ll get the hang of them.”
“This is much harder than it looks,” Ezra panted out.
“What about *yawn* JD?” Chris sleepily asked, padding over on all fours instead of two to lean on Buck.
Pete closed his eyes, fingers underneath feathers clenching into fists. Turning his head to the side so he wouldn’t have to look at them, he told everyone what had happened to JD and Keith. Finishing the story, Pete trembled with anger.
“Fuck,” Chris snarled.
“So how are we gonna go about this?” Vin asked as he pawed the ground with a hoof.
“I scouted ahead a bit and the castle is in our line of sight if we head straight. I didn’t see any smoke so I don’t think there are any villages or towns in our way,” John said.
“Right then, I guess our path is clear, let’s move out,” Buck said as he helped a sleepy Chris up.
“Right, that makes sense, especially since one you lot can barely stay awake,” Pete snarked.
Chris hissed and bared his fangs at Pete.
“Quit it! JD and Keith need us and sniping at one another is doing us no good!” John angrily stated.
“John’s right, my brothers,” agreed Josiah as he flitted about before settling on Nathan’s shoulder.
“We need to come up with a plan,” Nathan said.
“I whole heartedly agree with my fellow shifter here,” Ezra said. “Perhaps traveling by night.”
It was at this point that the group found themselves surrounded by various Fae.
“All of you will not be going anywhere until we can determine your true intentions,” the leader of the group said.
The Who and Team Seven slowly lifted their arms to surrender as they took stock of their new situation. This would not help JD and Keith anytime soon.
~~~
It had been five months since The Who and Team Seven first arrived in the Faery Realm and finally they would be able to rescue JD and Keith. They were faced with mistrust from the rebels at first, but eventually trust was proven.
The time had finally come. The months of small skirmishes had amounted to this. The final battle.
Team Seven and The Who were split up into different groups of the attack.
Chris, Buck, Vin, Roger and John were in the frontal assault.
Pete and Josiah were with the fliers.
Nathan had stayed behind with the healers, to make sure that the first aid tents would be prepared for any wounded coming in.
Ezra was with a small group of shifters.
A fog rolled from the forest and onto the castle grounds.
The castle army and guards shifted around nervously. They knew an attack was coming, but they didn’t know when.
FWIP!!
Thousands of arrows rained down on the castle as their wounded comrades screamed from the pain.
Fleeing from the airborne death, they heard and felt the next attack then seeing it.
A roar so loud echoed in their eardrums and the ground vibrated underneath their feet.
The heavy wooden doors were pounded upon.
It didn’t take long before it broke under a combined assault of Minotaurs and various shape-shifters.
Leading the charge into the castle were the satyr’s, centaur’s and various land creatures.
Chris snarled as he raked his claws against an enemy soldier’s face and continued on to the next person.
Vin trampled whoever come near him with his hooves and made short work of the rest with his sword.
Buck bowled into his own group, swinging around a battleaxe.
The rain of arrows stopped, but a new threat emerged from the sky as various sizes of rocks were pitched at the enemy.
Various fliers swooped down to grab a enemy soldier and toss them away.
Pete was no exception as he grabbed one bad guy sneaking up behind on John.
John gave a grinned fang and a salute at Pete. Raising his hands, he sent webbing flying and a group of soldiers found themselves stuck to the castle wall.
Ezra shifted into a bear and batted the enemies away with swipes of his paws.
All of The Who and Team Seven battled hard and long, with their Fae Allies.
It had taken many hours of battle and many losses, but they were victorious in taking down the large army that guarded the castle.
The Fae that had first captured them strode forward to the large group, smiling. “Go, rescue your friend; we shall stay behind to make sure no one else comes.”
Buck grinned and clasped the fae’s hand in a warrior’s handshake. “Thank you so much for your help, Yemi.”
“The honor is mine, Buck. Go! Go quickly before Lux can escape and this nightmare begins once again,” Yemi said.
All of them quickly raced towards the castle and found the throne room thanks to John, Pete and Roger remembering where it was from before.
Once again, Roger let loose a sonic scream and the heavy wooden doors blew apart into splinters.
All nine of them strode forward into the throne room. There stood JD, clad in black leather pants and a sleeveless black leather vest, fox ears and a fox tail still on JD’s body. Knives were strapped all over his body and a sword was strapped to his back. Cruel green eyes took them in and Lux smirked at them with JD’s face.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t The Magnificent Six and The Who. Here to save your friend? It’s too late just so you are aware. They’re both mine now, including a couple others.” Lux smiled. It looked wrong.
Chris’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”
Lux brought out a blue stone the size of an orange from a pouch on the side of his body. “Do you know what this is?”
“Why don’t you enlighten us?” Buck snarled out. He wanted JD and Keith back.
“This is a very special stone, with a very special power. Whoever holds this stone has the power to control shifters,” Lux smirked. “Of course, you have to be within ten feet of them, but I took care of that five weeks ago.”
It was at this point that Ezra and Nathan strode forward and knelt at Lux’s feet.
“You bastard!” Vin cried out.
“Ezra! Nathan! You two get back over here right now!!” Chris snarled out, claws going in and out of his paws like fists clenched in anger.
Lux smirked and clicked his fingers. Nathan’s form flickered and shifted into a woman. Coming forward, she draped herself over JD’s body. “Interesting creature, isn’t it? I haven’t had any chance to play with it, I wonder if it’s a true woman everywhere. I guess I shall find out once I rid myself of all of you.” It was here Lux drew Nathan into a passionate kiss, if anything to anger the ‘heroes’ that came to defeat him. Nathan did nothing as Lux’s hands wandered over her body. Settling a hand on her bottom, Lux raised his hand and flicked his finger forward.
Ezra’s form flickered and shifted into a very, very large snake. Hissing, it flung itself forward near The Who.
All of them scattered.
“Josiah, go for Ezra’s eyes, but only to disorient, not to blind!” Chris shouted.
“Understood!” Josiah’s tiny form flung itself forward. Wings beating furiously, a light surrounded him. Raising tiny fists, Josiah flung that light forward at Ezra’s serpentine eyes. It struck true.
Giving a screech of pain, Ezra swung his head from side to side, hitting the wall, floor and ceiling.
Buck and Chris ran forward towards Lux and Nathan, Vin following them in a charge. It worked; Lux flung Nathan to the right and Buck and Chris caught her. Lux dodged to the left, right into John’s spindly legs. They held him tight.
“NO! You can’t do this! I shall never be gone! You’ll never get rid of me!” Lux screeched.
Ezra was still wriggling from side to side, venomous acid shooting from his mouth and hitting Pete.
Pete screeched in pain as he rolled around trying to get it off his feathers and quickly went unconscious from the pain. Roger in anger shot a sonic scream at Ezra, knocking the snake out. It fell to the floor with a large bang. Its form flickered and shifted back to Ezra.
Buck left Nathan to Chris and gathered up the silver flask that had fallen from Pete. Striding forward, he pinched Lux’s nose and stuck the flask in his mouth.
Green eyes bugged out as the echo was slowly drained from JD’s body. The green colour flickered from hazel to green, back to hazel again. Eyes fluttered backwards and JD slumped forward. Buck capped the flask. It was at this point a man in black came from a side entrance, knives drawn.
The man took in the situation and the knives disappeared on his body. “You bloody well did it!”
John had lowered JD down to the ground and looked at the man; Josiah was heating the stone with his light and smiled in satisfaction when it shattered into tiny little pieces.
“Back with us, Nathan?” Chris asked the gender morph. Nathan quickly shifted back to her male form.
“Y-y-yeah.” Nathan huddled in on himself, but then caught sight of Ezra. He quickly hurried over to take care of his downed friend. Chris came up beside John to back the bassist up if necessary.
“Keith?”
The man in black nodded and took off the hood that was obstructing his face. Fox ears pricked upwards and swiveled from side to side. Keith looked like he had lost a great deal of weight; his cheekbones were even more prominent.
“You lot are a bloody sight for sore eyes.” A tired smile reached the chocolate brown eyes.
“Wait a second, man in black, man in black,” Buck mumbled. “Holy shit! You were our contact!”
Keith gave a low bow and then quickly walked over to his ‘twin’. “Correct, Buck.”
“How did you escape Lux’s control? We were under the impression that you were under his influence,” Josiah asked as he settled on Chris’s shoulder.
Haunted eyes looked at the tiny fairy. “I was. For about a year. Lux sent me on my first assassination attempt. I flashed back to Neil.” Hands balled into fists. “I broke control and somehow, JD shielded me from Lux knowing. I became the Faery Queen’s spy. I knew you guys would come for us.”
John gathered Keith into a tight hug. “Where were you?”
“Helping the prisoners escape; I pointed them in the direction of the Fae rebels,” Keith murmured. He was so tired.
Roger and Vin slowly turned Pete’s burnt body over. Breathing a sigh of relief, Roger watched Pete’s chest rise and fall with each breath. They would be all right, it’d take time to heal everyone, mentally and physically, but they would be all right.
~~~
It was a few days later and The Who and Team Seven were resting. Pete had regained consciousness and was in pain. The healers had some salve that was slowly healing the damage done to him, but they had to pull out the burnt feathers to let new ones grow in. He looked like a half-naked chicken.
JD had yet to regain consciousness and Keith was curled up around his ‘twin’. For the past five years he was denied JD, he wouldn’t leave him anytime soon. John had taken up a silent guard over them.
Ezra wasn’t blinded, but he still saw bright lights every once in a while. Josiah had been apologizing for the past few days to the undercover agent. Ezra waved him off, but Ezra had his own apologies to make and Pete accepted them and said he held no blame towards Ezra.
Nathan had taken to talking to the healers and burying himself in work to forget what Lux had done to him for the couple of minutes that he was held. He could still feel those hands all over his body. He felt dirty.
Chris, Buck and Vin took in the situation. They had a long way to go and to heal.
They all fell asleep later in the evening; they had avoided the celebrations. While they wanted to rejoice in finding their friends and victory, it still didn’t feel right yet, while everyone else was still hurting.
The Faery Queen walked into the room and took in the tired group. Resignation was in her eyes as gold dust flew from her fingertips and covered Team Seven. Their bodies flickered like bad reception and disappeared.
She turned towards The Who and JD, waving her hands, silver dust flew and landed on them. It settled into silver armbands on their biceps, they flickered and disappeared.
“Good luck, Warriors of Prophecy. You shall need it in times to come.”
Team Seven was deposited into the grass area where they were first taken, still asleep and when they first left. They were now human, their altered forms taken from them.
It was with The Who and JD that it was a different story.
They woke to falling in the sky, JD still unconscious.
“What the fucking hell is going on?” Roger shouted as the air whistled around them.
“I have no bleedin’ idea!” John shouted back.
Keith was holding onto JD. Pete was falling beside them, screaming and snarling in pain as the wind pulled on his tattered tortured wings from his back.
They had no idea where they were and what had happened. All they knew was that they were falling to their deaths.
THE END