I am where exactly?

The Boundary-

.

People and various animals were flittering about back and forth. Some in a rush, some just talking while moving. The thing about them, they were all exuding energy around them.

Leo would find out much later they were wielding Dimensional Laws. The very makeup of Reality. It was on a small scale compared to the bigwigs, but it was happening. Which was really weird.

Almost out of comic books or an old cartoon.

Before Leo could get his bearings, he was hoisted up. Taken by invisible hands. Individuals moved away. A few eyeing him to see "what" he was. And "who" he belonged to.

None made any moves. That was a good way to get.. removed. No one wanted that. Not after working so hard to get to where they were.

A few grinned at the newbie. Things always turned better when newbies arrived. Meant the work they were doing was going forward. Proof that more "realities" would stay around in the end.

Leo was moved to a desk. Very nice business desk with a potted plant on it. The odd thing was that plant seemed to sway just a little. As if reacting to his presence. Across from him was a talking mouse.

The first few sentences were completely lost to him. Its light bright and seemed to take up the area. But also not take up the area. Which made no sense to him really at the time.

The mouse went to work again. Looking over documents before stopping. The hands let Leo go finally.

"Ah, Leonardo. Welcome to the Boundary. Mother was quite insistent I answer any and all your questions while we have the time of course. You have done good work for her already." Eyes stopping on a small note on who was the man's family. "Oh, your brother.... is something of a thing amongst our kind."

"Right, and that is.. your kind?"

"A Reincarnator in the simplest of terms. We are low in number compared to the olden days." The mouse said simply. "We are the last of an old breed. You, even more so. Your brother has taken a path most well needed. Especially in our Pantheon. Or "Conclave" if you will."

"Pantheon... Gaia's Pantheon.. not the Greek one since.. that is Zeus's right?" The little mouse nodded. "So is he safe? My brother, I mean?" The mouse nodded again. "What has he been doing? Exactly really."

"Birthing Demi-children." The mouse said matter of fact. "Which the Dimensional-Galaxy needs. We do not need another "Collapse" to happen after the last one. But your brother and others have taken care to help with that. Numbers are low but the children's Souls are powerful. Dangerous to others who wish to take advantage of that. But out of reach and able to grow to respectable levels. Fearful levels."

Leo looked a little confused. The mouse said the words well enough. But other words could be heard as well. A few other languages were spoken with those. It was... hard to comprehend.

"Where is he now?"

"D.C. Dimension making sure the Earth survives. And the outer part of the Milky Way. It is the domain of Earth Deities and the like after all. Everything outside that.. well.. other things territory mostly."

"Can I talk to him?" Leo received a hard no. "Is it impossible for me to do so?" A yes at that.

"The passage has closed. The only way to speak with him now, is if he dies. In that singular moment, you can reach him in the Boundry. Or use a massive amount of energy. Which is counterproductive." The mouse rubbed at his chin in thought. "You are not the lazy type from your file, and boredom will set in after you calm down. Or death. You are to weak to stay in the Boundry to long."

"The Boundry is not the Afterlife is it?"

"In a way yes. But not really for us. Lesser souls come here to rest and meet their individual Religious, Spiritual, or Scientific choice of worship. It is fleeting and quick. Maybe five seconds that they perceive as countless centuries sometimes." The mouse looked to a clock and watched it strike a single second. "Nonbelievers or Faithless go elsewhere. I have no idea where and do not care. Do not ask about it."

"Ok.. so.." Leo rubbed his chin slightly. Wondering why it was somewhat the same as the mouse. "You are not me in some weird crazy way or something right? Not caused by mind slipping into craziness."

"Nope." The mouse denied it outright. "I am a child of Apollo. 3rd in line to become the next over his domain. Which I might add, I will not be taking. The name is Barnabus by the way. People just read the plaque and already make fun of my name some."

"Nice name Barnabus." Leo said simply. "Leonardo .. huh?" He tried to introduce himself fully. I can not remember my last name or my middle name. Why?"

"Because we do not have them." Barnabus shook his head ruefully. "Lost coming to the Boundary. But the first name, we keep. To powerful and tied to who and what we are. You may discard it on your own, but that comes with a set of problems. I hope you do not do that. Oh!" He hopped up onto the desk. "Try not to die to early. You will die and not return here if you do. Cease to be really. Gaining strength and knowledge does wonders. You need strength for the first time. So... become strong really quickly for the contract to be fulfilled."

"I do that how exactly?"

"Our Pantheon does Contracts. Some do blood rituals or.." Barnabus swished his tail about. It was longer than his little body actually. "..sacrifices of bodies and condemning of souls. All the good stuff back in the day."

"Uh-huh." Leo tucked that away for later. "So, what all do I do again?"

"Right!" The mouse jumped up doing a little kick. "We protect Earth. From Foreign and Domestic. Gaia intervenes when it is close to getting destroyed outright. Some of us make sure things are lined up to do what is needed to humanity. Thus the Conclave. But other work is making Demi children to carry on throughout the current Galaxies that inhabit the Dimensions as a whole. You are sent to do things with the populace. Old days on Earth it was meant to inspire and cause fear. That is not needed anymore really."

"The hell.."

"Right, we travel to Diety less Worlds. Given birth by human imagination. Which is a very powerful dangerous energy really. Since imagination is faith or worship energy. When the Internet God came, oh boy that rookie took a beating when it caused so many problems." Barnabus' eyes took on a dangerous hue to them. "But as a human yourself, now a Champion, you can do a lot with it. The place you are heading to is a small one. But an expansive Destiny. Try to dig into other avenues while there. And your strength grows according to the things you do. Scenarios that are weaved into place naturally or by your submind, which is your Imaginative power taking over with the Dimension doing the work."

"Gotcha.. be a male slut. Or technically a breeder. So find someone to bare children. An a lot of them. Or culture vats to create infants. That sounds like a good idea to me." Leo said thoughtfully. "Genetic induced embryos go a long way. Remove the fetus from the patient and place it into a vat would be the best outcome. If it is a number thing that is needed."

"Yes.. gross but yes." Barnabus said. His thoughts on how different the brothers were, very differently passing in his mind. 'He is a little more.. inhuman starting off than his brother was. But it will give us the numbers. It is getting hard for us to reach the other places. Not a big enough working force to make up for the collapses. Quality but no quantity.'

"True, but it will help solve things faster. So I take it the need for deities and whatnot has another purpose besides just keeping the collapse of our Galaxy."

"Yes. The place people go after death." Barnabus said. His face twinkling slightly. Happy that Leo caught on to this part. "They are reborn in the "other" places. Depending on what they "follow" of course. Some get a clean slate and a fresh start. Some live a life of torment for what they did in the past."

"Hmm so the point of us.." Leo pointed at himself and at Barnabus. "..is to make sure they have a place to go to? An Earth to go to anyway to be born? Or another planet in the milky way Galaxy or something like it?"

"Yes as a matter of speaking. There are more souls coming over that are waiting. And considering how champions carry in them the tiniest bit of souls from others as an anchor point, them going out and spreading their seed is another way for others to be born. The arrival alone in a place will send the soul pieces out and allow rebirth. Which has already happen for you."

"Say what now?" Leo questioned. He hadn't gone anywhere besides here. At least as far as he knew. Remembering the tiniest thing that happened before, it couldnt have been that. Could it? "When?"

"The process that made you a champion. You carried quite a number with you at that time. Then the sense of loneliness was also most likely Gaia was sad when doing so. But she rather sees people have a chance then none at all. We are pro Earth faction more than anything. Which you are still, yes?"

"Yeah. Well never met a Xenos before in my life. So.." Leo thought about some of the things he was told. "..save Earth wherever I go. Save the Galaxy if I can as well. But Earth is more important." He received a nod. "Ok.. but where am I going exactly?"

"I will get to that. Let's talk about the other questions you have." Barnabus looked at the clock again. It was getting ready to strike once more. "I rather you not go to your destination unprepared and damaged."

The two talked for quite a while. Before Leo received a box and went to the exit. It was literally marked exit up above it. Like an old emergency sign. Showing bright red.

"Oof!" A young man bumped into him. "Sorry about that."

"Yeah, I bet." Leo said. He was heading to the exit when someone bumped into him from the side. Which was weird since he was the only one originally walking near it. "Not dealing with any B.S. What did you do fuck boi?"

"Woah man, take it easy." The young man backed away slowly. Attention already drawn to them. But Leo turned to him and kicked his leg. Shattering it in the process. The young man gritted his teeth. Leo called his bluff. A few of the rules he picked up from Barnabus at the forefront of his mind. "I slipped a Demigod into you that was dying. The same as I did to your brother."

A woman with burning hands already came over grabbing the young man. A somewhat family resemblance. In the eyes and bronze skin that seems to glow a light gold.

"I am sorry for my brother." Her voice flowed out like honey. Barnabus had appeared next to the young man. Looking back and forth between Leo and him. Waiting to see what he would do. "The demi he passed into you.. is dying. To much energy lost helping people. Needs a chance to live in a way. We do not have a Pantheon anymore. It ..collapsed."

"Tch, stupid. Would this have hurt me in any way?" Leo asked more towards Barnabus than her. The mouse shook no. The woman just stared blankly. Not knowing what would happen next. "Whatever. I will deal with this if I make it back, I think Barnabus can take care of this for now."

Leo didn't remember what the exact ruling would be. To many laws to go through. He made it a point if he succeeds in wherever he is going to make sure the next time he becomes a lawyer of sorts.

*Thk!* The door closed loudly as he went through. The others gathering their own assessments after what happened.

"Alright you brats, why did you do this?" Barnabus asked. His voice stern and not wanting any excuses. He heard about the collapse but the Pantheon scattered so far away to fast that they couldn't help. "Do not try to run either!"

"I gave him Tlaloc." The male said. "Like his brother, he has a small tie to our Pantheon naturally."

"Gaia has both the brothers and do not think none are aware how she works." The female said. "She finds those with mixed heritage to make her champions if she could. Why is that?"

"Humph!" A multi-armed man walked by but stopped in disgust at the female's tone. "She does so because of Harmony. Do not forget the Origin of Gaia child. Unlike most of us who do not allow true Alliances to form, the "Conclave" does."

A few other deities listening in with passing champions.

"We were only able to stop the collapse when working togethor in certain avenues." The multiarmed man admonished her and her brother. Eyes burning in red light. "Barnabus, please be lenient with them if you can. I may not be a part of that Pantheon anymore, but I rather not see it wiped out."

"Of course." Barnabus nodded watching the multiarmed man walk away. "Now for you two. Come with me. Much to discuss. Especially about Tlaloc. I doubt you will see him again considering the gift that Maxmillion left Leonardo."

The two deities followed behind slightly dejected. Quite a few Pantheons already gossiping as they went along with work. If Leo survived he would have quite a few people wanting to speak with him.

A few bets had turned into a cluster fuck of additional add ons. Some betting Leo would not make it to Godhood but become a Titan.

Some betting he would not become anything his first time around like his brother. But they did bet he would survive his first time around.

Tlaloc is another in a long list of Aztec deities that did not mind occasional bloodshed. Moreover, Tlaloc was a capricious fellow. A benevolent god of rain, fertility, and lightning, he had limited patience. Angered Tlaloc would send storms, hurricanes, floods, and droughts. Diseases and famine were not beyond his control either.