title: Church

summary: Allen Learns the true meaning of worship.



Allen learned that the mysterious man was an Exorcist, someone who defeated and exorcised akuma. His master wasn't just any exorcist either, but a general, the highest ranking—as he was told by his master—on the exorcist food chain. The man told him it was the highest rank possible to achieve and that it required a lot of skill, talent, persistence, and a thing called badassery. Allen didn't know what the last one meant, but his master assured him that it was something good.

General Cross Marian, (Allen was only allowed to call him Master or God) strode languidly through the cobble stone streets with a tattered looking twelve year old tagging behind him. Allen tried to match his master in stride, but found his legs too short and instead resolved to a slight jog in order to keep up. He was grateful for his master had cleaned his eye wound and patched it up with a handkerchief he had in his pocket.

The pair finally made it to a tavern where a burly man with a sour look on his face stood guard. Master made a move to open the door and was immediately stopped by the large man.

"You can not enter," the man said, his deep voice vibrating through Allen's ears.

"And why not my good man?" Master replied.

"You have a child."

The guard's gaze fell on Allen, who immediately felt self conscience and hid behind his master. Cross snorted, yanking Allen out so that he could be studied.

"This is not a child! This is a very short and oddly young looking old man," Cross reasoned.

The guard raised a skeptical brow and Allen looked confused. Cross cleared his throat and grinned. "Now if you don't mind, my father and I would like to have a drink," he said, grabbing onto Allen's wrist and moving forward to pass the guard.

The large man stopped Cross in his tracks.

"I'm sorry, but unless the kid disappears, you can't come in."

Master Cross sucked his teeth annoyed and yanked Allen to the side.

"Master, what's in there? Why can't we go in?" Allen tried to ask as the man pulled him. They made it to a lamppost across the street.

"Listen, that's…" Cross chewed his lip a bit, trying to make the tavern where he usually went to get drunk sound appealing. "…church. I have to go worship."

Allen tilted his head, his brow furrowing with curiosity. "Worship?"

"Yes. I go in there to worship the Lord and such."

"Is that where Exorcists go to get information and get strong? Are you going to help heal someone?"

Cross looked at the boy, and shrugged. "Yeah…we'll go with that." The redhead looked towards the tavern, Allen saw his master shiver and sigh pleasurably. The boy figured this worshiping business must be fun since his master looked at the place with a forlorn look lust and longing.

"Any who! As much as I love chatting about old times, I'm going to leave you here."

Allen's eyes widened in alarm. "Huh?"

"Don't worry I'll be back," Cross smiled, rustling the boy's white locks. "Eventually."

Allen pouted, not liking the idea of being left behind. He wanted to be with his master. He wanted to see how his master trained in a place of worship.

"But what will I do?"

"I don't know. You should think of something creative to do. You're like five, right?"

"I'm twelve," Allen corrected.

Cross rolled his eyes. "Five, twelve, seven. Point is, you're a kid, therefore easily amused. Go play with dirt or something."

Allen frowned. "But I'm too tired and hungry to play," he whined.

He saw his master give an exasperated sigh. "Fine, here," the man began, removing his belt. He tied one end of the belt to Allen's wrist and the other end of the belt to the lamppost. "There, take a nap until I get out."

Allen's bottom lip quivered.

"I'm cold."

"Jesus kid!" Cross scowled. Allen closed his eyes, waiting to feel the sting of a slap. Instead he felt himself being wrapped in something warm. He opened his eyes to see his master wrapping him in the long coat. The man muttered something about high maintenance and Allen blushed, not meaning to be such a burden to his master. Here he was complaining while his master had more important things to do, like worshiping. Allen felt like a fool and lowered his gaze, staring at the floor ashamed for his selfishness.

"Thank you, master," he whispered.

The man blinked, surprised at the boy's humble stance. He snorted, grinning and rustling the boy's hair.

"No problem," Allen heard him say. The boy looked up and smiled when he saw that his master wasn't angry at him anymore.

"I'll be back soon. If a stranger comes, just use your arm or something," Cross said, taking his leave.

Allen nodded as he waved good-bye to his master.

Never mind the fact that the man he worshiped just donned him with an object that was considered target practice for akuma and that said man left him tied to a lamppost, so in case an akuma did attack, Allen would have no where to run. As long as he was making his master happy, Allen learned not to notice such trivial details.

One hour turned into two and two turned into three. Allen was sitting down on the curb of the street, buried into the long coat. He wondered what kind of worshiping went on in that place as people went in normal and came out speaking in tongues and walking funny. One man came out and puked on the streets. Allen wondered if the man was being possessed by some demon. About a half an hour later, his master came out, walking as funny as the other patrons that left the place of worship a little earlier. Allen stood up, pulling up on the long coat as to not trip on it. He walked towards his master and was immediately jerked back by the belt.

"Wat chuu lookin at? You a nidget or sumthing?" his master asked. Allen dodged to the right as his master went to throw a sloppy punch his way. The man ended up spinning and landing on the ground.

"Master?" Allen peered at the man, poking at him to see if he was alive. The boy managed to roll him onto his back and the putrid stench of alcohol quickly wafted up Allen's nose, making his eyes water and throat itch.

"Master, you smell," the boy said, pinching his nose.

"S'll good," the man laughed and continued to laugh until he belched and Allen felt like he himself was going to puke from the smell coming out of his Master's mouth. Allen thought he was better off chewing through the belt and running away now while he had the chance. But then he thought of how his master gave him his precious coat before he went in and how kind that was of his him. And then he thought of how better off he was now that he was a disciple of the great General Cross Marian. Those thoughts alone made the idea of dealing with a smelly drunk master a bit more tolerable.

Master Cross rolled over, grabbing onto Allen for leverage.

"I thunk ima be sick," he slurred.

Allen blanched, shivering as his master began to empty out the bile on his clothes.

On the second thought, maybe he was just better off with letting the akuma kill him back there in the cemetery.