Eventually, the storm faded away as the students of Mel Blanc high sat huddled up into their classrooms. Having a lockdown out of nowhere was certainly more than a little disorienting. As they whispered to one another about the strange events, the loudspeaker came on.

"Good afternoon, students. This is principal Coyote. Unfortunately due to the blackout, we will have to fix the generator used for this school and will unfortunately have to cancel today's classes. Please come back tomorrow and have a nice day."

The students, never one to complain about days off, were more than happy to leave school early than usual.

Mac, however, was more preoccupied with another result of the storm. As the other students quickly left the building, Mac was walking around his fellow students and asking about where Billy and Mandy had gone. Approaching Lazlo and Kevin, he tapped their shoulders.

"Have you guys seen Billy and Mandy???" Mac asked.

"Not since the storm," Lazlo replied, with his hands in the pockets of his aviator jacket. "I was wondering where they could've gone too…!"

"You think the storm took them?" Kevin theorized, making Mac shiver in anxiety.

"Kevin," Lazlo began to scold the green-clad hall monitor. "That's not helping Mac at all…! He must be worried sick!"

"Just sayin." With that, Kevin kicked open the doors to the parking lot. Mac, still not having any answers, decided to ask the eds, who had been waiting for school to end to go to their favorite candy store.

"Can't say I have," Eddy shrugged. "Sorry, Mac. They probably ditched ya."

"Eddy!" Double D nudged Eddy in the ribcage, making Eddy cough.

"Jeez, Double D! I'm just sayin, they're not the most reliable people." Eddy crossed his arms.

"Look who's talking." Double D called him out, leading Eddy to sigh.

"...Fair point."

"Guys," Mac interrupted their argument. "Can we focus on Billy and Mandy, please?!"

"My apologies, Mac!" Double D scratched her chin. "Unfortunately, we don't know where they could've gone...we're not exactly close."

"...thanks anyways, guys." Mac sighed.

"I did hear the powerpuff girls we're gonna search for them, though." Eddy interjected with a raised eyebrow. This didn't do anything to calm Mac's nerves, though. He still felt that something was very wrong…

As Grim took them to the CN Central Park, Mandy's mind raced with a million thoughts. It had been years since Grim had left, and out of nowhere he came back...only to assign them as reapers? Where was he?! What had happened to his scythe? Was he even a reaper anymore?

The park's atmosphere did nothing to help. Even if it was calming to many, with small round ponds and large trees with paved paths of beige, it only reminded her of the time she had spent with Billy and Grim there before he was set free. Her racing mind was only comforted by Billy's voice.

"You ok, Mandy?" Billy nudged her ever so slightly, making Mandy snap back to reality.

"I'm…." she couldn't lie. Not at this moment.

"I don't know."

Grim realized Mandy's silent confusion.

"I know it's a lot to wrap your head around, but I won't leave you in the dark."

He sat on a patch of grass, which overlooked a pond with lily pads and frogs on the surface. He patted the grass next to him, signaling to the two new reapers to sit next to him.

Once they sat down, Grim began to elaborate.

"This all started one fateful day. I was doing my usual reaping duties when I was notified of a man who's time was already up. Doing what I had to do, I came to the man and tried to reap his soul. What I DIDN'T know was that the man had made a deal with a demon for eternal life. When I swung at him, the scythe broke in two. When I came back to the underworld, I was notified I couldn't be a reaper anymore and that now my successor (or rather, successors) would take my place. Now, you both know I have no children of my own. But I thought about it...and I realized the closest thing I had to something like that...was you two. So I decided it was about time I paid you both a visit again, and give you both the gift of reaperhood."

Billy's jaw dropped. "Woah…."

Mandy tilted her head. "So you're saying...you made us both reapers…because we were the closest thing you had to a successor?" her face as a mix of surprise, anger, and the tiniest bit of comfort.

"Well...not just that." Grim looked away. "Y'see, the thing is…."

Billy's face turned smug, a face he rarely made. "Grim…."

"What?" Grim out his hands on his hips as Billy grinned.

"...did you miss us too?"

Grim's face turned a shade of red. "Wh—what do you mean?! Of course I did! I wouldn't come back to this world if I hadn't!" Grim's tone was angry, but his words proved he too had missed their time together.

"Awwwww, Grim!!!!" Billy hugged the skeletal figure, lifting him up as though he weighed as much as a feather.

"WOAH—" Grim yelled. "You're a lot stronger than I thought..!"

Mandy also stood up, and joined the hug. Grim was certainly quite confused by the sudden affection from the two, but he sure as hell wasn't complaining. It was nice to be back together again.

"Wait a minute….." Billy putting Grim down. "How are we supposed to be reapers if we don't even know how?"

"Oh, that's the second thing—" Grim explained. "I'm gonna be staying on the surface to teach you both the ins and outs of reaping."

"So," Mandy began to ask. "You'll be staying until further notice?"

"Yup. Someone's gonna have to keep you kids from reaping the entire town."

Billy cheered, while Mandy simply rolled her eyes at Grim's hyperbole.

"Looks like we're reaping what he's sowing…." Mandy thought to herself.

Later that night, as Bloo had welcomed Mac in for their weekly movie marathon, Mac still felt a sense of dread from the storm at school. Sure, Billy had texted him that he was fine and nothing bad had happened, but he could sense it was only the beginning of even stranger things to come.

"Cmon, Mac! The movie's about to start!!" Bloo called from the living room of Fosters. Mac had been making popcorn in the kitchen when he heard Bloo.

"Just getting the popcorn, hold on!!" Mac quickly poured the popcorn from its microwave bag into the bowl and ran to the living room. They had been waiting for this movie since it was announced. As the movie began, their eyes were fixed on the screen, unknowing of the shadow near the window.

Midway during the movie, as Bloo laid sleeping, Mac reached into the bowl, only to realize it was empty. Getting up to get another bag, he finally took notice of the ominous presence near the window. With a fearful anticipation, he put the bowl down, and walked towards the window, covered with the velvet red drapes. He pulled them back, only to see a horrific sight

There, before him, was a mass of eyes, staring right at him, as though they were seeing right through him. A scream from Mac was enough to turn them away, as the mass disappeared the moment his voice peaked.

Bloo woke up in confusion.

"Mac?! What the hell?! Don't you like horror??" Bloo looked around for his best friend, only to see him staring into the window.

"...Mac??? What's with the window??? Did you see something spookier than the movie?" He snickered to himself.

Mac couldn't focus on his friend's snarky remarks. His mind was more occupied with whatever the hell was out there.

...he had a feeling this wasn't going to be the only time he encountered something like that.

(Author's Notes: Hiya everyone!!! Second update WOO!!!

I'm so glad I'm getting chapters out pretty quickly!! I'm super invested in making this a thing and I hope y'all like what I'm making!

A little something to note: for the entirety of this fic I will be referring to Double D with she/her pronouns due to my hc that she's a trans girl! And I will be including many of my headcanons in this series. This is a passion project of mine and I'mincredibly excited to make this story public!! Thank you and have a wonderful day!!)