Disclaimer - I do not own D. Gray-Man. The original plot and its characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

"So, what brings you Exorcists all the way out to Warrington?"

Madelynn gave an undignified yelp as one of the stage coach's wheels caught onto a rather large pot hole. She jolted forward, but otherwise was okay – well, as far as "okay" went when your bum was sore. Madelynn had come to realize within the past hour or so that stage coaches were not very comfortable.

Remembering that Ralph had spoken, Madelynn met his gaze. The young man was watching her and Miranda, waiting patiently for an answer.

"We're not sure yet. The others didn't tell us."

Madelynn winced inwardly. Her answer was nothing but a lie. Normally, such a thing wouldn't bother her – they were Exorcists, after all, and sometimes lying was inevitable – but she had never been a very convincing liar.

Quite the opposite, actually.

There was no going back now, though. Whether she liked it or not, she'd already spoken, and the only way out of this was to make herself believable.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Miranda tense. Had her lie not been as convincing as she thought?

No, it had to be. If she let herself slip, Ralph would know for sure.

Madelynn tried another approach, turning to face Miranda and faking a smile. "They sure like to travel far, don't they?" she commented with mock amusement, though she silently pleaded for the woman to follow along.

She wasn't sure how, but Miranda caught onto her plea, forcing a smile of her own. For being so timid, the older woman was cunning. "They sure do."

Madelynn wasn't very judgmental, but there was no denying that she found Ralph to be suspicious. And nothing was more frustrating than not knowing why. What if there really wasn't anything to be worried about, like Komui and everyone had been trying to assure her? What if she was just a paranoid Exorcist who was still in need of a caretaker?

But she refused to acknowledge it. She was tired of being the weak of the bunch. She was tired of being looked after so often.

For once, she would not rely on anyone. For once, she would not be the newbie that needed to be protected.

However, surprisingly enough, Ralph gave no struggle. Instead he nodded, striking up another conversation with Miranda, who happily obliged.

"Ma mentioned you were a new Exorcist," Ralph commented a short while later, looking at her. "Are you still in training?"

"Madelynn completed her training a while ago." Miranda smiled as she met Madelynn's gaze. "She's improving by the day." Once she was certain Ralph wasn't looking, the older woman laid a hand on her shoulder, her smile widening. "Good job," she mouthed.

Miranda wasn't talking about her progress, though, but rather her lie.

Madelynn merely stared in surprise as realization hit her.

Ralph hadn't even thought twice of it. He'd believed it. For once she'd been able to lie.

For once, she'd been useful.

For much of their journey to Warrington, the small group traveled along the Mersey River. And during the period of time it took to reach their destination, Madelynn studied the body of water intently. It was mesmerizing to see it snake so delicately through England's landscape.

It was just after noontime when Ralph's rusty wagon came to a screeching stop in the busy streets of Warrington. Relieved to finally get off – and perhaps restore feeling in her legs that had been cramped for God knows how long – Madelynn eagerly hopped off, nearly twisting her ankle as she landed awkwardly on the pavement. Her clumsy stunt seemed to go unnoticed, however, as Miranda exited after her, bowing to Ralph.

"It's no problem," the man replied, waving off the gratitude. "The success of your mission will more than pay for itself in the long run."

"It's still generous of you, though." Madelynn smiled. "Please also thank Miss Julia for us."

"Will do." Ralph offered one last grin, to which both Exorcists returned, before continuing on his way, further eastward to wherever it was that he was headed to pick up supplies. Madelynn paid him one last wary glance – still uncertain it was to be trusted – before shrugging it off and following after Miranda.

If he had ever intended to bring harm to them, he would have done so already.

"Are you feeling better?" Miranda asked as they traveled through the city, making Madelynn blink as she met her gaze.

Miranda's composure was surprisingly placid as she waited for an answer. It was a large improvement from yesterday, considering this morning she had practically begged Komui not to parachute Allen in. She'd gone through a lot to convince Lenalee's brother she was capable of holding up on her own, though, and wasn't about to let that fall through.

"Couldn't be better," she replied without hesitation.

Miranda sighed with relief. "That's good to hear." She smiled, clasping her hands together. "Now, shall we find the rest of our group?"

Madelynn nodded, studying the surrounding area carefully. Warrington wasn't as large as Liverpool, but it was still a considerable size. Finding their companions among the crowds would prove to be a difficult task, but they had no other choice.

Thankfully, luck appeared to be ruling in their favor that afternoon. After only twenty minutes of searching, Miranda finally spotted the remaining members of their group, and after narrowly catching herself before she tripped off the curb and landed flat on her face, she regained her balance and rushed over. Madelynn stared at the spot she'd been not even a moment ago, awed by the maneuver she had just witnessed, before following the woman's lead.

Any smile that was still plastered on her face was wiped clean as soon as she arrived, however. Marie's demeanor, which was usually calm, was etched with worry. Disappearances weren't ever a good sign, but the looks that were being passed back and forth were unsettling.

"What is it?"

She was almost afraid to hear Marie speak.

"You two should see for yourself."

It wasn't the words either of them wanted to hear.

"Where are we headed, Marie?"

Madelynn wordlessly trailed behind the other Exorcists, alongside Toma. It was the first time anyone had spoken since they had entered Warrington's neighboring fields, and she found herself watching Miranda briefly before refocusing her attention on the man who'd been questioned. They were at most a mile away from the town's entrance, navigating through a plain overgrown with shrubs as they made their way to where she could only guess was the waterside.

"Komui's theory may have been incorrect when he predicted Innocence was to be blamed for the civilian disappearances."

Both women exchanged a bewildered look. If it wasn't Innocence, what else could it be?

Madelynn didn't need to voice her question. The answer was blatantly obvious. If it wasn't Innocence, the only other possibility was Noah or Akuma.

Marie stopped so suddenly, Madelynn nearly collided with him before catching herself. She blinked in surprise before peering around him to see what it was she was supposed to see.

And upon seeing it, she promptly recoiled, eyes widened in horror.

Miranda's reaction wasn't any more restrained. She gasped, tears pouring down her cheeks as she held back a sob.

It took all of Madelynn's self-control to not retch at the sight.

She'd seen plenty of bodies before – at least, in movies, that is. Between all the crime shows her mother had insisted she watch with her and the people who died in the movies and anime she watched with her friends, she'd grown semi-used to it. Enough not to bother her.

But to see one in person?

Reality was knocking on her door, yet Madelynn still couldn't fathom it. Even when someone laid dead not more than a foot from her.

The night before they'd departed on their mission, Komui had held a mission briefing. She still remembered every last detail that had been mentioned, and she understood full well why they had been sent to Liverpool. Their supervisor had suspected that Innocence played a role in the disappearances that had been occurring in the surrounding area – whether or not he had anticipated them spreading as far as Warrington, she did not know. So far, more than a dozen were missing, Finders among the unaccounted for.

Truthfully, she'd had no clue members of their family were missing. News didn't travel fast among them. Maybe it fell upon deaf ears or no ears at all. Or maybe people just preferred to check the listings of those missing or killed in action.

She willed for it to be untrue, but there was no denying it. Not when the tan uniform Finders wore was standing out in stark contrast. Reality was really mocking her, it seemed.

Numbly, she stepped forward until the gap between her and the deceased Finder was closed. For a moment, she said nothing, merely examining the scene. If it wasn't already evident the woman had died a terrible, horrifying death, it was now. Blood stained the grass. The Finder's eyes were still widened with fear, her lips slightly parted from when she took her last breath.

It was then that realization struck her hard.

One of the missing Finders had been a woman.

"Is it…?"

Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for the verdict that was soon to come. Part of her was scared to hear the truth, but another part of her already knew.

Toma struggled for words. "Headquarters has been contacted," he started. "And the Finder has been identified."

The response was vague, but it spoke volumes. She didn't have to ask to know the Finder had been among the missing. One less question, but so many more. Where were the other Finders? Civilians? Had they faced the same fate, or were they still alive?

"What do we do now?" Miranda asked, wiping away her tears. Madelynn couldn't bring herself to cry; she was far too shocked.

She wouldn't be given the chance, either. Her vision turned gray, and an explosion that nearly knocked her off her feet followed seconds later. Instinctively invoking Crown Clown, she spun around, only to gape at the sight before her.

Akuma were sprouting from underneath them by the dozen.

"Madelynn!" Marie called over the resonating booms that filled the dead silence that had been present just moments ago.

Knowing exactly what her orders were, she studied the ground they were standing on. Due to the chunk of ground that separated them from the enemy, she couldn't see anything, but judging by the sheer number of Akuma that were appearing and the rumbling she could feel below, it was obvious dozens of them were roaming below.

"They're ambushing from below!" she responded, still focusing on the rumbling. Each second, it seemed to grow stronger.

That was when realization hit her.

Eyes widening, she turned sharply, eyes widened and stricken with horror. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she met Miranda's gaze, watching as her own eyes widened. She wasn't taking any chances, though. "Move!" she screamed, but it was too late.

A flash of light burst forth from underneath them, brighter than anything she had ever seen before, followed by a deafening explosion she would never forget. There was a sudden gust of wind, stronger than any other she'd ever felt, and as it rushed by she was thrown off her feet. Then there was only silence as she watched chunks of heavy rocks litter the spot they had stood moments before, airborne.

She fell hard. Her collision threw spurts of dirt upward, and she tumbled forward several more feet before her body finally skidded to a stop. Wincing, she opened her eyes, and was relieved to find that no Akuma were heading her way.

That wouldn't last long, though.

Every limb in her body was screaming in protest, and she felt light headed, but she ignored it. She pushed herself onto her feet, stumbling as she did so. After a moment of struggle, she regained her balance, but all victory was lost when her world spun violently and she fell once more, groaning in pain.

"Madelynn!" She heard Miranda scream, though it seemed far away. Maybe it was, or maybe she was messed up more than she thought.

No, she couldn't black out. Not now. Not when chaos was breaking loose around her. Not when her comrades needed her help.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself back up. She stumbled at first, and nearly toppled over, but managed to make it. Her head was throbbing, but she was standing. That was a start.

Her vision cleared, and upon observing her scraped hands she noticed her Innocence had deactivated. Closing her eyes, she pushed away thoughts of her pain, focusing instead on the faint warmth Crown Clown brought as it circulated through her body.

Nothing happened, though, and panic swelled in her. Was Crown Clown damaged? Forget being too weak to fight – what if she was too weak to even invoke? What good was she, then?

Deadweight, that's what.

Somewhere, deep within her, she felt a light twitch. She wasn't quite certain what it was, but her gut instinct gave her a good guess. "Innocence, activate!"

Nothing happened.

"Madelynn!" she heard Miranda yell once more, only it was much louder this time. Her head snapped in the direction she'd heard Miranda's voice come from. The woman stood several meters away, waving frantically with tears rolling down her face. Upon closer inspection, Madelynn saw that Toma and Marie were also unharmed, making her sigh with relief.

The reunion was short lived, however, as water crashed onto the bank behind her. Drops of water rained down on her, and she blinked as Miranda suddenly grew pale.

That is, until a roar sounded loudly behind her.

Growing equally as pale, she turned, her eyes widening at the sight. An Akuma had emerged from the river, and its eyes were focused intently on her. It emitted a threatening purple aura, and spikes decorated its arms. When she met the Akuma's gaze, it grinned maliciously at her, sending a chill up her spine. It licked its lips greedily before lunging at her.

If she couldn't invoke, she couldn't fight; and if she couldn't fight, she would die, simple as that. There was no time for her to worry about failing, though. Danger was here, and it was coming at her fast. Breathing in, she tried to calm herself. Focus, she reminded herself, closing her eyes.

"Crown Clown!"

Her Innocence did not protest. It knew as well as her what was at stake.

For a moment, she waited, and for that tense moment the world grew still around her. Nothing else mattered to her. She could only see the Akuma as she watched the monster that was twice her size barrel toward her, and she could only focus on her Innocence.

At last, the familiar warmth her Innocence brought when invoked washed over her, and without hesitation she welcomed it. She didn't need to look to know she had invoked successfully. Her eyes snapped open, and she raised her left arm to deflect the blow that was headed for her.

And she quickly learned defense was not her specialty.

There was a loud clash as metal collided with metal, and she nearly collapsed under the Akuma's weight. Her opponent's strength quickly proved to be greater than her own, and she struggled to hold herself up. The Akuma grinned at her, and she bit her lip, holding back a whimper as the spikes that lined its arm dug into her own.

The Akuma shifted, and it was only then she realized the spikes from the arm resting against the side of her head had been pressing into her skin. She winced as it stung, feeling blood stream down her face.

"Oh, is the wittle Exorcist hurt?" The Akuma teased.

A mistake on its part.

It was a risky maneuver, being this close in range, but it was a risk she needed to take. Without warning, she rammed into the Akuma's body, where it wasn't protected with spikes. As she had suspected, the Akuma was not prepared for it, and stumbled backwards in alarm. Taking advantage of the opening that was left to her, she gathered energy in her left hand.

And without allowing herself a second thought, she unleashed it.

"Cross Grave!"

She wasn't certain how well it'd work, being so close in distance. She'd never been this close to an Akuma before.

It proved to be effective on her part, though. The attack she had dealt struck the Akuma head-on, and it let out a shriek as it was thrown backward. She wasn't given any time to escape the repercussion that followed, however, and she found herself knocked off her feet as well.

The Akuma was quick to recover, though, and within moments it was rushing at her once again. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself back onto her feet to defend herself. That was when she caught something move in her peripheral vision. Alarmed, her gazed shifted in the direction she'd seen it move, where she was met with the sight of another Akuma headed straight for her.

The Akuma that had just arrived on the scene drew back its arm, preparing to punch her. With the other Akuma rapidly approaching, and the river standing directly behind her, there was no other escape route. She dropped down, shutting her eyes tightly as she waited tensely.

The blow never came.

Blinking in surprise, she hesitantly glanced up, only to find herself encased by Miranda's Innocence. The Akuma were held back by Marie's own weapon, rendering immobile. With one fluid stroke, the one closest to her – the newcomer – was destroyed. Madelynn met Miranda's gaze, and with a firm nod, the older woman released her.

That was when the unthinkable happened.

Well, unthinkable as much as being an Exorcist goes. For being a complete klutz, it wasn't as much of a surprise.

Her feet, which had been planted firmly on the river's muddy bank, slipped as she moved, pulling her backwards against her will. Before long, gravity did what gravity did best, and she was falling.

The Akuma cackled hysterically. "Foolish Exorcist!"

The last thing she saw before the river's rapid current swept her away was the horrified looks of her companions.

Author's Note - I didn't get as far with this chapter as I had originally intended, but after realizing just how long it'd been since I last updated, I decided to cut it short. Generally, I don't like to go for long periods of time without updating this fic, but I really dislike making readers wait longer than two months. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added Living Animation to their favorite and alert subscriptions. It really means a lot and gives me inspiration when it's run dry!

Also, thank you to Sammy for their review. I couldn't thank you personally, but I really appreciate it.