Strange Omens Volume 2: The Book of Life (Bad Omens Book 10)

17

"So you're half angel half demon?" Aziraphale pondered, genuinely wonderstruck by the young woman before him. Crowley was leading them to the roof so she could inspect the damage to her TARDIS. 

"Yes." Eden replied. It was only fair for her to explain herself to the other celestials, especially since these were alternate versions of her parents. It felt wrong to keep this from them, although she would have to keep certain information from them due to certain events clearly not happening as well as outcomes not even existing in this particular dimension. 

So much was familiar yet strange in this world…..

"We left everything where it was." Crowley said. "We had to see to you before you discorporated."

"It's okay, I understand." Eden replied. "Thank you again." 

"No need to thank us dear, although I do wish you would tell us who harmed you." Aziraphale said. Despite him asking, Eden refused to answer that question. 

"Once I look at the damage I can go from there." Was all she said. The only other thing that she told them was that she used her TARDIS to travel places, which wasn't much for them to go on.

"Oh God." Eden rasped at the sight of the damaged TARDIS. It was completely destroyed. It was completely shattered and fragmented into dozens of pieces. 

Eden slumped to her knees and gaped at the shattered blue box. Crowley tapped her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry, we'll help you rebuild it. And we'll help ya get home….."

After a couple of moments Eden stumbled to her feet and as Aziraphale and Crowley ushered her inside, a gunshot pierced the air. 

"What the hell!?" Crowley exclaimed as Eden screamed in terror. Aziraphale instinctively used his body as a shield to protect Eden as the three of them rushed back inside the bookshop. 

"Who the fuck is shooting a gun in Soho?" Crowley demanded. He approached the windows and peered out, trying to see if he could find the culprit.

A loud bang rang out and the right window shattered as a golden bullet flew through the glass.

"Duck!" Aziraphale cried. He threw himself over Eden. "Crowley,  are you alright?!"

"I'm okay Angel. What about you and Eden?" 

"We're all right dear boy….did you see who's shooting at us?" 

Crowley peeked outside again and gasped at the sight of Metatron. "Uh, I think it's the Metatron." The Metatron was standing on the sidewalk right across the street. The humans were gone, he must have sent them away with a ward.

"What?" Aziraphale gasped in shock. 

"Well, he looks a little different…..but that's definitely Metatron….and he's got a gun of some kind….."

"I can't believe he followed me….." Eden whimpered. "He actually followed me." 

Before Aziraphale and Crowley could say anything in reply, the Metatron called out to them, 

"Principality Aziraphale, you are in the presence of a very dangerous creature. You are under orders to turn her, and the Book of Life, over to me immediately."

Aziraphale crept towards the window next to Crowley and called out, "Can't we talk about this first? She's just a child!"

"You don't know what you're dealing with Aziraphale!" Metatron snapped. "Either hand her over now or you'll suffer the consequences." 

Aziraphale glanced at Eden,  who had snatched the Book of Life from his desk and clutched it to her chest. She looked so frightened that his chest ached. "Well, if you want her you'll have to go through me!" Aziraphale replied tightly as he puffed out his chest. 

"And me!" Crowley declared as he stood up straight next to Aziraphale. 

"Tch!" Metatron scoffed. He cocked the gold encrusted pistol and said, "I'll just kill the both of you as well then." But right as Metatron had his finger on the trigger, a burst of bright light erupted from within the bookshop. Startled, Metatron covered his eyes as Aziraphale and Crowley were suddenly flung forward by a force of energy, as if something shoved them from behind. They fell flat on their faces and gasped at the sight of Eden glowing from head to toe as she floated in the air just above the pair's heads. 

As soon as it started, it ended and Eden fell to the floor, slumping onto her side. "Eden!" Aziraphale cried as he stumbled to his feet and rushed to her. "Eden, dear, wake up!" 

Crowley however sat up and looked over the window sill and saw that the Metatron was trying to pass through an invisible barrier but he couldn't. The invisible wall wouldn't let him through. Crowley grimaced when Metatron fired the pistol at it and the barrier still wouldn't yield. 

After two more bullets were wasted the Metatron finally gave up. "This barrier won't hold forever! And once it falls I'm going to kill that wretched Abomination and then I'll kill you two and burn that blasted bookshop to the ground!" 

Once Metatron disappeared in a flash of lightning Crowley rushed to Aziraphale’s side. Eden was still unconscious. "What the fuck happened to her now?" 

"I think she wore herself out by putting up that protective ward around the bookshop and then she…..she…" 

"Oh, that explains that but where's the Book of Life?" 

"She absorbed it, Crowley." Aziraphale rasped. "I can sense its energy in her." 

"Ngk." said Crowley.