Everyday it's a-gettin' closer - English Version

Being human - Powerless

"Well," Crowley cleared his throat, "we're not here to make out. Nathanael said there had been a small food stall here where she had thought she saw our bearded friend."

Aziraphale nodded in agreement. However, due to the increasingly bad weather, there was no sign of a stall. "Could have been a created illusion, of course. Because my guess really is that Metatron is trying to talk the offspring into her conscience; planting guilt in her until she buckles," the former angel mused aloud, and now it was Crowley who agreed with him.

"It would suit him. However, the girl won't buckle, she's too smart for that!"

"And we'll make sure she stays strong too," Aziraphale added, to which Crowley smiled.

A moment later he blinked his eyes a few times and then massaged his pinched lids.

"Are you all right, dearest?"

"Yes...my eyes just aren't used to seeing so clearly anymore!" reassured Crowley, Aziraphale sighed slightly. "I almost miss your yellow snake-apples already.", he couldn't help joking and Crowley raised an eyebrow. "Hm...how you take it. Still, it's unusual. I just wonder what will happen that night..."

Aziraphale immediately understood what Crowley meant. He too knew that his snake-eyed partner had lost the ability to see the stars.

"Perhaps we should test that out in the night right away," he therefore suggested, and Crowley shrugged. Even though he wanted to appear indifferent, Aziraphale could see the fear in his eyes.

"What..., if I still don't...," he stammered out quietly, shaking his head to chase away the negative thoughts. "Humans can see the stars!", Aziraphale encouraged him, "They see what you have created every night, clouds permitting!"

Crowley squeezed Aziraphale's hand in thanks after the latter clasped it.

"Good...so: suppose he really had been here, what traces could he have left?"

"None at all...he's too clever for that, I'm afraid," Crowley growled after he and Aziraphale had started moving again to walk around the park.

"Well, I hope his confidence will go to his head one day," Aziraphale explained his train of thought and Crowley folded his arms as he continued to look around.

"Maybe so. But I have to agree with Nathanael about one thing. In my eyes, he couldn't have used the book this time either. I mean, the authorities can cover up a lot of things before the Supreme, but something like that would even catch God's eye. I still don't know how he did it, but he must have had help. Because really only the supreme ones, the supreme ones, have that kind of power!"

"Not even you...I mean than you...?"

"No, not even me, angel. Create is one thing, change complete existence, something else!", Crowley answered his beloved's question and they both jerked up from their brainstorming as Aziraphale was bumped into by someone.

"Oh, please excuse me, I was in thought!" Aziraphale leaned towards the thickly wrapped person whose face almost disappeared under the far too large scarf. Due to the collision, it had fallen to the ground and the good-hearted Aziraphale's guilty conscience had set in immediately.

"It's alright...", the person murmured and gratefully accepted the offered hand. As she did so, she reached into the pocket of the thick cloak.

To Crowley's horror, he could immediately see a blade and without thinking again, he pushed Aziraphale aside. The latter fell sideways on the ground, which was slowly getting wet due to the rain that had started.

When the ex-angel had collected himself after this small shock and looked up, he saw a battle scene. Crowley had snatched something out of the hand of the person whose dense clothing was now gradually beginning to loosen, and only on second glance could Aziraphale see that it was a knife. With a nimble manoeuvre, Crowley had twisted its blade and rammed it into the stranger's torso. The latter inhaled sharply and the scarf came off his body completely.

"Hey Hastur," Crowley then greeted this one with a threatening hiss, "...even if I am human, you can't fight me, huh?"

"You won't...kill me with that...you know that!", Hastur nagged back and Crowley pressed the blade even further into his body. "Perhaps, but it gives me a chance to look you in the eye! Who sent you?"

Hastur smiled contemptuously as the pitch black blood began to run from the corner of his mouth down his chin.

"Wouldn't you like to know, eh?" gurgled Hastur, pushing himself away from Crowley as his body slowly began to go up in smoke. "I'll see you again soon enough, Crowley! But then, you will be one of my subordinates! As a human, you are now denied all your privileges in Hell! I look forward to it!"

Crowley tried to run towards Hastur, but his body had already dissolved. "Shit!" escaped the redhead and he heard footsteps behind him.

"Crowley, Crowley are you okay?!" Aziraphale stood next to the man being addressed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think this...my goodness I'm so naive...I should have paid more attention...I..."

"...Angel, pray to Nathaniel at once!" interrupted Crowley to his beloved.

"What?"

"Pray to Natha immediately..."

Crowley's face contorted and his body threatened to topple forward. At the last moment, Aziraphale managed to catch him and hold him in his arms.

"Crowley! What's wrong?"

Aziraphale eyed his partner closely and it struck him that he had his hands pressed to his right flank. Fine red rivulets ran down the skin between the cracks of his fingers and Crowley's chest heaved violently up and down.

"Oh no...oh...no, oh no!", Aziraphale began to comprehend and now placed one of his hands on the weave as well.

"Oh, the angels Nathanael and Muriel, I beseech you! Help me and my beloved in my need!" he prayed aloud, resting his forehead on Crowley's, who was losing more and more colour in his face.

"This...is...not good...", Crowley coughed, throwing some, red particles into the air and a mixture of blood and saliva flowed down the corner of his mouth.

"Hang in there, dearest! I'm sure the girls will be here soon and they can heal you!" Aziraphale felt the tears gathering in his eyes. "Don't...n-don't cry angel..."

"I was so stupid...I'm sorry..."

"Y-you wanted to help...as always..." smiled Crowley, coughing again as he nearly choked on his own blood.

"Aziraphale! Crowley!" Nathanael's voice thundered through the rain and as Aziraphale looked up, he caught sight of her and also Muriel, who immediately knelt down in front of the group.

"My goodness...Crowley," Muriel whispered in shock and Nathanael, immediately put one hand on her shoulder while she held the other over the wound.

However, nothing happened.

"What...?", Nathaniel immediately gasped, looking helplessly at Muriel, who immediately did the same. "It's...not...working...is it?" groaned Crowley and while Muriel was still trying to get her miracles to work, Nathanael took out her mobile phone and dialled a number, removing her overjacket as she did so.

"What are you doing?"

"Using earthly methods!" replied Nathanael to Aziraphale's panicked question, and as she pressed the mobile against her ear with her shoulder, she folded up her jacket and pressed it onto Crowley's torso.

"The K-blade...must have been forged in...hellfire...," Crowley gasped and Aziraphale, as well as Nathaniel and Muriel, noticed how quiet his voice became.

"Muriel, keep pressure on the wound," instructed Nathanael as she spoke to someone on the phone.

Once her hands were free, the youngest of the round placed them on Crowley's cheeks and gave him light pats. Immediately the fluttering eyelids opened again.

"Hey. Don't you dare die on me here!" threatened Nathanael, pointing at her and Aziraphale's eyes. "I don't care if you look, but you look at someone and stay awake, got it?"

Trembling, Crowley nodded slowly. "I don't want to die..." he whispered fearfully afterwards, and Nathaniel tried to shut out her emotions, especially as she could also hear Aziraphale's heart-wrenching sobs.

"You won't! We can do this!"