Chapter Text
***26th October 1946***
A meeting had been held between some unfortunate reapers at the London dispatch. This included Othello and Undertaker, the silver haired reaper having joined the association again. Not that he had much choice in the matter – it was either that, or death.
“Sutcliff, Knox, be quiet,” William glared at the two gossiping reapers. He walked around the meeting table, dropping a stack of files in front of each of them.
Othello adjusted his glasses and stared at the tittle on the front page. “A paranormal clean up?”
“Indeed.”
“Eh?” Ronald pulled a face. “What’s tha’ mean in English?”
“In layman’s terms, it means we are to take care of the ghosts in London.”
The two tone haired man paled. “G-ghosts? Na … I don’t want -.”
“Oh, Ronnie, don’t be a scared-y cat,” Grell grinned at him. “You’ve had that naughty spirit roaming the hallway outside your office for a while now.”
“Geez, don’t remind me.” Ronald rubbed at the back of his head. He soon received a jab to the cranium from William’s scythe. “Ow!”
“Silence!” The supervisor sighed. “Your pointless jabbering is beginning to get on my nerves.”
“But how are we supposed to ‘take care’ of them?” Othello asked.
“Well, as SOME of you may know, a ghost is created when idiot reapers fail to collect a soul on time. It leaves the soul to wander off and cause havoc. The same can happen when said morons only collect part of a record – the soul fails to be claimed, and again, disaster is caused.”
“Eh … tha’ doesn’t sound so good.” Ronald said.
“Yet you are the one who fails at time keeping. Honestly, I could do with Humphries at a time like this. At least he understood what it took to be a good reaper.”
The room fell silent, Grell and Ronald glancing at each other. It was broken by Undertaker’s cackle. “You seem to forget the trouble he caused you at the end.”
“That was Slingby, you buffoon.” William adjusted his glasses. “Now, as Knox obviously realises, there is a spirit roaming the west side of floor one.”
“And we’re to send the little troublemaker on their way?” Grell flashed her teeth.
“Yes, you are to collect their soul.”
“But how are we to do that when we can’t see the apparition?” Othello asked.
“And I can’t sense its soul either.” Ronald said. “We’re a bit buggered really.”
“You can’t?” William raised an eyebrow. Is … this soul one of a reaper? “Then see this as a test. You four find a way to lure the spirit out, and then collect its soul.”
“And what about you, Willy dear?”
“Oh, please. Sutcliff, if you four cannot round up even one ghost, then you are more incompetent than I thought … if that is even possible.”
“B … but how do we lure tha’ thing out?” Ronald asked. “Does anythin’ go?”
“Within reason, yes.” The supervisor pushed up his glasses. “Bribe it with a gin and tonic if you have to.”
“Right ….”
“You are dismissed.” As the other reapers stood up from their chairs, he spoke again. “And Knox?”
“Eh … yeah, Sir?”
“Do me a favour and read through your information pack. You’ll do well not to lose your head.”
“Eh … right ….” Lose my head?! Haha … okay then ….