The Crusade Begins!

***The Crusade Begins!*** is the first episode of Salvation Quest.

## Summary

*"TJ, Shelley and Jimmy receive a great calling from God; they must rid the world of the minions of the Devil! With their new divine powers, they embark on their first assignment to get rid of a demon that's infecting a local radio station."*

## Plot

TJ, Shelley and Jimmy are meeting in a classroom after school to do bible study. Shelley reads aloud Ephesians 6:11-17:

> "*Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.*"
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As she reads, the three begin to glow as the power of the Holy Spirit fills them. As the speaks the last word, the room is suddenly filled with intense glowing light and the children find themselves transported to a glowing golden room and wearing white and golden robes.

A large, mostly unseen figure introduces himself as God. He says that he has chosen the three because of their unwavering faith and says that he needs their help to combat the crisis of demons and devils trying to take over the world. The three children graciously accept their new roles as divine protectors, and God explains to each of them how they will all receive divine abilities to help them succeed. TJ is given the power of exorcism, and can banish any demon by laying his hands on them. Shelley is given the power of healing. Jimmy is given prayer power; when he prays sincerely, what he wishes for will then come true.

God continues to explain how a demon is currently attacking the town in which the children live; the DJ is possessed to play corrupting music that turns people away from the church. God gives TJ a CD, and tells him to play it at the station to heal the damage caused by the demon. The children are then transported back to the classroom, still wearing the robes. The kids say a quick prayer before heading out toward the radio station.

As they walk towards the station, they notice the horrible music that's coming out of the radio. It sounds like dissonant noise, but people seem to really like it and get angry when it's turned off. It also seems to inspire them to do bad things, like draw graffiti and shout at their parents. TJ declares that it must be the work of the demon.

They arrive at the radio station, and it's completely locked up and boarded over, but the music is clearly coming from inside. Just as they're about to lose hope of getting in, Jimmy prays for a way inside. Just then, a board falls loose from a window, exposing a way in. The kids climb into the building to find the disturbing sight of DJ Larry under the control of a eerie dark figure. The DJ lunges at them upon sighting them, and they all scatter around the room as the possessed man thrashes around.

TJ, in the commotion, sneaks the CD that God gave him onto the player. It starts to play, and the demon shrinks and cowers underneath the DJ, and TJ walks up to him and places his hands on his back. A flash of light appears over the DJ. In that moment, the demon is banished and DJ Larry comes back to consciousness, dizzy and disoriented.

Shelley grabs his hand and DJ Larry immediately feels normal again. They look outside and see how the people in the town are being affected by the music; everyone seems to be going back to normal and asking for forgiveness for their behavior while affected by the music.

Afterwards, TJ, Shelley and Jimmy meet up in the classroom again. Jimmy says that they ought to have a name as a group; after a brief brainstorm, they decide to call themselves The Crusaders. Suddenly, a light above them appears, and God announces that they have another demonic foe. Determined, the Crusaders set off again.