Well, I'm rather surprised at myself for getting this chapter out as quickly as I did. I already had most of it written, so that helped quite a bit, but other than adding more detail to it, not much changed as I was editing.

Quick note because I didn't mention it last chapter, and I kinda wanted to: the Ferrari Aion was driving was a very limited edition. Only 349 were made from 1995 to 1997.

I'd like to thank OtherCat1 and squishy the jellyfish for reviewing.

Disclaimer: Chrono Crusade is owned by Daisuke Moriyama.


Chapter 7

When I came downstairs the next day, I had packed my meager possessions the pouch Gabriel had given me

When I came downstairs the next day, I had packed my meager possessions the pouch Gabriel had given me. There was no denying that I had made up my mind, but Aion still had to ask.

"What does this mean for our relationship, Remington?" he said it in such a mocking manner that I knew he was just teasing me. He wanted to hear me say that I was done with him so that he could find something to use against me at a later time.

"I'm not going to help you, Aion. I'm going to leave here today, and I'm going to regain the strength that I've lost. I swear to you, if I ever see you again after this moment, I will not hesitate to kill you. I'm not going to hunt you down though. I respect you enough for that. However, if I find that you've captured an Apostle, then I shall make it my sworn duty to track you down and kill you like the demon you are," I told him coolly.

The devil smirked and lowered his head. "I accept your terms, Remington. In fact, I'll have Gabriel and Ambrogino take you wherever you want to go. As a last token of good will so to speak."

"Thank you." It was the last thing that I said to him before I left the mansion and got into the car that Ambrogino pulled up.

"Do you know where the Magdalene Order is stationed in Florence?" I asked the quiet driver.

"Yes, but why do you want to go there? It's not exactly a short trip." he said, sounding worried. He might not have talked much, but it seemed that he did at least care about the people whom he chauffeured around. It warmed my heart a little.

"Sometimes in order to get back on your feet, you have to start back at the beginning. The Magdalene Order is my beginning," was my reply.

Gabriel frowned but he didn't say anything. In fact, he didn't say anything at all as we took the long drive through rural areas and small towns to a large monastery situated in a secluded area on the outskirts of the ancient city. It wasn't like him at all, but I can only assume that he was trying to work out why I was leaving. As far as he knew there had been no fighting between the Sinner and myself. I wasn't about to tell him the real reason for my departure, and somehow I doubted that Aion would either.

"I'll see you around, Remington?" the young man finally asked as I got out of the car and shuffled my satchel around. He wasn't smiling though, and he looked too much like a broken Joshua at that moment. His blue eyes were down cast, and he was frowning. It was the exact look the youngest Christopher had worn whenever he had remembered something from the past.

Something he didn't want to remember.

"If fate is willing, Gabriel, then yes," I answered before I walked to the gates and hit the call button.

Gabriel and Ambrogino left by the time someone finally answered me.

"How can I help you, sir?" The voice was pleasant, but there was a clip to it that made me think that the man may have had a military background.

"I need to talk with the member in charge of this branch."

"May I ask why, sir?"

"Tell the head of this branch that Ewan Remington is here. I should be in the system."

"…Wait just a moment, sir."

Out on the grounds I could see young nuns and ministers training. It made me remember the days when Rosette and Chrono would run around practicing, going about some chore, or trying to do some damage control with Sister Kate. As I watched, a young girl in the pink cloths of an apprentice came running out onto the lawn, only to trip and fall onto the ground.

Just like Azmaria, I thought with a small smile before I heard a creaking noise.

The gates slowly opened and two armed ministers stepped forward.

"This way, Mr. Remington. Minister Borgia will see you."

As we walked across the pathways, the nuns and ministers stopped to look at us. Obviously it wasn't every day that a visitor came. I'd assume it was even less common for said visitor to have an armed escort. I could tell that they were whispering, but from where I was I had no idea what they were saying. Did they know who I was? Did they think that they knew who—or what—I was?

They led me into a large brick building, and after ascending several flights of stairs, we stopped before a large set of rather imposing doors. The man on my left knocked twice before a curt, "Enter" was heard. He opened the doors, and there before us was as an old man sitting at a large, metal desk. The man reminded me too much of a judge about to preside over a court case, and I shivered slightly. Over all, the layout wasn't much different from what Sister Kate's had been, but the feel was all wrong. Sister Kate's room had always been warm and inviting. This place…it just wasn't. I didn't like it one bit.

"You're Ewan Remington, formerly of the New York branch?" Minister Borgia asked in a wheezy voice.

"I am."

The old man sighed. "I would like to talk to Mr. Remington alone for a moment. Please wait outside."

The two ministers both bowed and left the room. Their absence made the already barren place even more forsaken—if that were at all possible.

"What are you doing here, Remington? Word has it that you fell out of favor with God and quit the Order. Of course, that was what? Almost seventy years ago?"

"That's correct, though I think it would be better to say that He and I just aren't speaking to each other, or that I turned my back on Him. I'm almost certain that He would take me back if I ever had the desire to ask for His forgiveness.

"As for what I'm doing here, well, if you're willing, I would like to return to the Order and go back to the New York Branch to train. I've found a purpose again, but I need to be away from Europe in order to rise to my full potential."

"Why do you need the Order's help to do that? Certainly you could figure out something on your own," the minister growled as he shuffled some papers around. He wanted me gone, but wasn't rude enough to say it outright.

"I swore to kill the last remaining Sinner. The problem is… I don't trust myself to not go after him before I'm ready. I know that I'll do that if I stay on the same continent as him."

Minister Borgia looked at me and shook his head.

"Then ask God to help you. The Order will have nothing to do with a man that helped a filthy demon and a tainted nun."

"In case you've forgotten, minister, that demon kept this world from going into utter chaos by stopping his former comrade from creating a new ending to the Apocalypse. Rosette risked everything to save her brother and this world, and it ultimately cost her her life. If you ever make such comments about them again, I might just be tempted to join Aion in his hunt for the Apostles."

At that, the old man paled considerably. "He's going after the Apostles again?"

I nodded. "Will you help me now, or do I have to go and take him up on his offer? He said a lot of things that make sense. I might be tempted to believe that this makes sense too."

He frowned deeply before picking up his phone and dialing a few numbers. He never indicated for me to sit down, so I stood quietly before the metal desk. He talked quickly, but it seemed that he had to call every single council member in the Order before he finally turned his eyes back to me.

"The New York branch will take you back. They're going to send you a passport, but until it gets here, they asked that you stay here and train with our members. Is that acceptable, Minister Remington?" the old man asked.

"Perfectly. Thank you Minister Borgia."

He made a sound of contempt, and waved me away. "The two ministers outside will take you to get a uniform fitted and will help find you a bunk. Expect the passport to arrive within the next month or so. Dismissed."

I bowed, and left through the double doors. The two men seemed a little bit surprised when Minister Borgia told them to get me clothes and a bed, but they did as they were told. They brought me to a warehouse, sized me up, and handed me a uniform. As I turned it over in my hands, I realized that it hadn't really changed that much in the past 70 years. It was still the same dark blue, and the golden cross still commanded attention on the front chest.

No regrets, I said to myself as I continued to follow my two escorts. No regrets about rejoining the Order, and no regrets about leaving Aion and Gabriel alone. Rosette would say that this is the right thing to do.

Still, it felt like I was taking a step backwards. The feeling didn't last too long, but it almost made me throw the uniform to the ground and take off running. The logical part of my brain insisted that I was doing the right thing though, and the Order was the only organization that had the resources I needed to put an end to this tragic story I had been a part of for so long.

While the housing buildings looked new and modern, the actual sleeping quarters looked more like barracks than I expected. It wasn't like I was going to be staying that long with them. It was only until my passport came in, but the place reminded me of one of the safe houses I had helped secure in World War Two. Those had been dark, the beds had seen much better days, and any sleep we got was between shooting off rounds at the enemy. This place was no better. Nevertheless, I found an empty bunk, set my pouch on it, and looked around at my new roommates. There were a few men sitting around, all staring at me, but no one said anything. Maybe this was a normal occurrence for them to ogle new recruits, but it certainly felt awkward to me.

"Do you mind if I change?" I asked, and they did look a little surprised over the fact that I could speak perfect Italian. They must have assumed that I was a foreigner and knew nothing about the language.

"Go ahead. Don't mind us, Minister…?" one of the men said.

"Remington. Ewan Remington. I won't be bothering you too long before I'm transferred over to the New York branch, so I'll try to stay out of the way."

"New York branch, eh? Our branch is just as good as the American ones," the same man muttered.

"It's a personal reason that I need to go there. It has nothing to do with anyone here," I replied as I took off my shirt and pants.

"What kind of suit was that? Looked nice," one of the others piped up, and I tossed the clothes over to him.

"Gucci? Why the hell are you trading designer clothes for the Cloth?" he asked, apparently stunned.

"A devil made me do it."

"That's the stupidest excuse I've ever heard. You had to have lost a bet or something. Or you might have sold your soul to a devil. Yeah, that makes more sense," the first man said with a small, patronizing grin.

I just shrugged and pulled on the cotton uniform. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as the fitted suit had been, but I felt different as I wore it. Almost as though I wasn't wearing an obligation that I would eventually have to repay.

"Believe what you'd like. I'm just saying that a devil made me return to the Order and give up the life he gave me," I replied.

"What do you mean, 'the life he gave me'? Were you living with a demon?" the first man asked.

"Yes, I was living with a demon. I…I was keeping an eye on him," I said, trying to convince myself that that was the reason that I had stayed with Aion so long. That had been the reason in the beginning, but as time had gone on, I had lingered because I wanted to, not because I needed to.

"Then why the hell did you leave if you were keeping an eye on him?"

I sighed and looked up at the dreary ceiling, as if it held the answers that I was so desperately searching for.

"Because I was seriously beginning to question my definition of morality the longer I stayed with him. Believe me, I'm still watching him…it's just better for everyone if I do it on another continent."

They all shook their heads and returned to their own conversations. They must have assumed that I was a lost cause.

I was though, now that I think about it. I was a lost cause the moment I decided to stay with Aion instead of going back to the familiar streets of Rome. In my own way, I had sold my soul to the devil, and the only way I was getting it back was by killing the one that I had traded it to for fine clothes and expensive food.

"Hey."

I snapped out of my musings to look at the ministers again. The man that had asked about my suit was speaking to me.

"You should probably go to the church and either pray to God to forgive you or confess to someone. It will help to clear your soul."

"I don't speak with God anymore, and I sure as Hell don't require His forgiveness," I snapped before I left the barracks. I could hear the men talking about me as I walked out, but paid it little heed. I knew my reasons for being at this particular branch, and it certainly didn't involve talking with God or confessing my sins to one of the other ministers.

I came there to train and to start over again. Not to ask for forgiveness over regrets that I no longer truly harbored.

Thus began my long month stay at the Florence Branch of the Magdalene Order. I made few friends while I was there; perhaps in some grim determination that I would be able to train and teach myself everything I needed to know in order to defeat the last Sinner.

I did learn a few useful things. Like the Order had decided that rapid fire was more important than making certain that the gun didn't jam, so all members were required to carry a 1911 pistol on their person. While the guns were better than they had been back in the 1920's, I missed knowing that the cartridge wasn't going to jam after I shot it. Also, the branch still seemed to think that contact with the outside world was a must, and they did receive newspapers even if they refused to have televisions to watch.

With this little window to the outside, I found out that Aion was doing gratuitous amounts of charity work involving orphaned or disadvantaged children. I think that he was just trying to spite me and get me out to come out of my forced seclusion.

Or he was looking for the Apostles in the most obvious matter ever. It was probably both.

The day did not come fast enough for my passport to arrive. I was sick of Europe with its gaudy buildings and too old style of thinking. They all reminded me too much of the man that I was trying to escape from.

I needed to be back in the New World. Where nuns fell in love with Ignoble Ones, boys sold themselves to devil in order to understand their power, and girls learned to grow up too fast.

End Part One: Tempted


Here ends Part One: Tempted.

This is not the end of the story, so please don't think that I'd end this on such a bad note. Next up will be Part Two: Redemption.

In happier news: today was my last day of high school. So, any editing I have should be done in the next two or three days.