Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Crusade, but I own this story line! So don't go taking it, you got that? . Thank you.

Chapter 2: Mission

Chrono's POV

It was much like any normal day at the Order of Magdalene. Rosette and I had been scuttling about as usual while the Elder continued to pop out of nowhere. He always chose the worst times to do that. Azmaria was occupied with her chorus practices and didn't seem to have much time for anything else. This left just Rosette and me to do the exorcisms. All of the others in the Militia had other catastrophes to deal with – like the block Rosette destroyed last week. I personally think she should have kept her other job, but she's out to save Joshua, so whatever.

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"Yes ma'am; I'll get right on that. I know ma'am. Yes, I'm sorry!...But Sister Kate! I-…Ok…Understood…" Rosette muttered through the phone. I awaited her arrival near the now flattened automobile. I had to agree with her this time though. She, for once, hadn't totally demolished it by ramming it into some random city wall. This was just the typical doing of a devil.

"I guess we're going the rest of the trip on foot?" I asked her as she stumbled back over to my side. She shot me a glare that clearly stated, 'What do you think?' That usually meant something coming from Rosette.

"Ok ok! I get the hint…" I kneeled down to grab the equipment before hearing the phone ring in the warehouse we'd just left. "Hmm…Do you think it's another mission?" I questioned averting my gaze to Rosette.

She shrugged a shoulder and glanced towards the phone. "Why else would it be ringing – unless we've got a stalker on our tails?" she replied grabbing the receiver and lifting it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Sister Rosette, we have a new mission for you! A wandering traveler claims to have see demons lurking about in a mansion near his village! Report there immediately and investigate!" Sister Kate's voice boomed through the other end. Rosette had to pull the phone away from her ear a few inches just so she could hear it clearly.

"Yes ma'am! I understand…I'll head down there now." She hung up the phone and heaved out an exasperated sigh.

"Well, you heard her, Rosette. We'd better get going then huh?" I remarked with a bit of a nervous grin.

Rosette nodded slowly and began to trudge along the dirt path heading towards the mansion…or at least where he thought it was. Her sense of direction was always a bit shabby.

"How should I know? She didn't even tell me where to start. Why do I always get stuck with the brain busters?" she finished off with a murmur. It only caused me to crack a smile. You have to love that stubborn spirit of hers.

Once we'd entered the village, a middle-aged man in tattered old rags trailed towards us. Trickling gradually down his arm and dripping to the dirt was the blood from an open wound on his shoulder. It had stained his clothing and had been smeared over his burnt and deformed face.

"Take…h-heed young ones. Terrors lurk within those walls. It's haunting…maddening…The voices will never leave you alone…" the man whispered to us. His voice was cold and raspy and failed him every few seconds.

Rosette bent down to look at the crippled figure. "Sir…are you…the villager from the mansion?" she asked him holding out a hand to brush away his tangled black locks.

He quickly snatched her wrist and stared up at the two of us with wide and fearful eyes. This brought a startled gasp out of each of us – Rosette and me that is.

"Indeed…I am young one…and I know what lies inside that horrid place …Shadows…demons…there are untamed spirits…" he informed still holding onto Rosette with his cut and blistered hand.

As I watched him, I could sense an evil deep within. His soul had been tainted while he was in that house, and it was obvious in the way he spoke and how he moved. What struck me as odd, though, was the fact that I neglected to inform Rosette.

"Sir…we are going to the mansion to extinguish the devils inside of it. You don't have to worry about a thing…I'm part of the Militia and by the Order of Magdalene, I, Rosette Christopher, shall – Aaah!" Rosette was cut off by the man's palm clasping around her neck. A wicked smile tugged at his dry lips as he chuckled.

"Little girl…you will never survive in there. Go back…go back! Do not face the terrors within! You will die before you make it through!" He cackled once more tightening his grip around her neck. I furrowed my brows and dropped the baggage I was carrying so that the weight would not be a burden on me as I attempted to bring him down.

Leaping forwards I took hold of the man's waist prying him off of Rosette and sending him plummeting to the ground. I listened and heard the crack of his skull making contact with the path. Through his teeth he spat out blood which sprayed onto his already stained shirt.

"C-Chrono…what was that…" Rosette whispered holding onto her chest in fright. I slowly stood sauntering away from the man. "

"A devil…had possessed his spirit while he was in that house. I'm just wondering why I hadn't told you when I first figured it out…" I finished rubbing the back of my head in wonder. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Rosette give a shrug and stand up as well.

"Aw well…you must have just been busy listening to his lecture like me. By the way…what do you think he meant at the end of his last sentence? It didn't make much sense to me…" she added averting her gaze upwards to see the once blue sky turning a fiery red splashed with bits of yellow and orange.

"I'm…not sure, but I think we'd better be going now if we want to make it to that mansion before dark. I'll bet it'll be much creepier in there when it's midnight." I flashed a joking smirk in her direction, but she didn't take the comment too lightly. She took my hand in hers and began to charge towards the mansion, which was a few blocks ahead of us. I was lucky enough to grab the equipment before being dragged off like that.

"We have to make like Sergeant York! I can't stand it when I'm in some freaky building at night with a bunch of devils swarming overhead!" she shouted between pants. My smirk only grew as she said this. She tried to act tough, but really, she was just a teddy bear on the inside.

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We came to a halt in front of the mansion which was finally when Rosette let go of my hand. I rubbed it softly hoping to relieve it of the pain. She really didn't know her own strength.

"So…this is it…" she whispered placing her palm on one of the bars of the gate closing off the mansion from the world. Vines crept over the gate and the wall it was attached to, and there were dead, fallen leaves all over the yard. The grass didn't seem to be in such great shape either; it was choppy with so many weeds, not even the Magdalene gardener would dare go near it.

What really sent a chill up my spine, was the mansion itself. Just a glance at it could tell you that it was absolutely reeking of devils with a lust for blood and death. I found one thing in particular to be disturbing – There were 42 windows, 42 trees, 42 bushes, and 42 flowers on each bush.

"It looks like whoever designed this house was fascinated with the number forty-two," I stated narrowing my eyes as I averted my gaze to the front door. "I guess…this is it…"

Rosette nodded and slowly opened the gate allowing both of us to step through. We marched up the forty-two stairs leading to the top. By then we were panting again, but none-the-less, Rosette slowly held out her hand and took hold of the knob. 'Whatever lies ahead…I won't be afraid…'

Rosette…I'm coming for you…

A/N: Ok, so what'd you dudes think!? I decided to be nice and post a chapter before I had five reviews. . Aren't I the coolest!? Ok, well…yes…it's a cliffhanger, but who cares!? Bwuahahaha! I so love being evil. . Ok, well, I expect more reviews since I'm being nice to you guys, ok?

Preview: Rosette and Chrono have entered the dreaded Mansion of 42 Terrors, and for some reason, Rosette seems to be hearing voices. But who could be haunting her? And why won't she tell Chrono about it? Plus, the markings and blood on the walls might prove useful in their quest to find the lead devil in this exorcism. Read on to find out what will happen next!