As it turned out, leading an army of angels is quite similar to trying to herd cats. Aziraphale had read the instruction manuals, it was the only part of the job he was actually enjoying. Although it would have been nice to have a spot of tea and a much more comfortable chair while he read.
He had sent out the call, the one to rally his troops, but when only six came, he assured himself that he had done something wrong. Time was marking down, an ever increasing sense of doom building with every tick…tick…tick.
"Where is everyone?" Aziraphale asked one of the angels.
"They're not coming."
"They're not coming? Why in Heaven not?"
The angel who had answered looked over to another, searching for an answer.
"There are some," another angel answered, this one tall and sinewy with blond hair plaited in a crown on their head. "Who don't think you should be in charge."
"I see," Aziraphale said. He couldn't help but think that other angels had fallen for less, and then he immediately regretted the thought. He was here to change things, and that meant questioning had to be okay. He just wished it wasn't happening while the fate of humanity hung in the balance. And also that it wasn't him they were questioning.
"Let's see how many souls we are meant to retrieve."
Azirphale pulled out the file. There were approximately 7.88 billion people on the planet and while Aziraphale would have liked to save them all from either side, the number on his page was much lower than he'd hoped, but still far too many to accomplish with only six other angels.
In two days, they would be lucky if they could get to one million. This would not do. He could not do this on his own and there was only one other he could trust.
Aziraphale dismissed the angels who had come with some discomfort, he wasn't sure even those few would come back when he called them again. But he hoped he would not have to.
The Metatron was waiting by the lift when he reached it, well his floating head was, in all its backlit glory.
"Aziraphale, I trust things are going as planned."
Another angel would have missed the smug smirk on his face.
"Yes, yes, I was just going to nip down to Earth to do some last minute preparations."
"Very good. I knew you'd be the right angel for the job."
"So you don't mind me going?"
"Why would I mind, dear boy? You are, after all, leading. You alone will hold the glory for what is about to come."
"The glory will be God's." Aziraphale challenged.
"Yes, of course," The Metatron acquiesced.
"Much to do then."
Aziraphale pressed the button, only letting his shoulders relax once the doors closed and The Metatron had disappeared from sight.
