We all serve in our own way. Part 1 & Part 2

A group of friends have gathered around for the first time in a long time this month. Still, more of them were supposed to arrive but were hung up with one problem or another. Whether it was a wreck, a stopped train, or just a flat tire, things were terrible and prevented them from meeting easily.

The one who called the meet-up was their friend Rexford. Surprising since he was always busy with work or traveling for one thing or another. Most of them had known each other for 10-15 years. But the closest of the group knew each other for 20-30 years.

Drinking and carrying on as they caught up, some just couldn't wait for the others to make it and have fun.

Rexford looked on as the World slowed down. The sober one currently for the night between his friends as they celebrate revealing new achievements that were made in the last week. The only time they needed someone to be completely sober was when Michael and Katy were in the party mood. It let things work out for the best really having enough sober people.

Especially with Leroy not drinking that much as well. Both he and Rexford were the more... physical of the group.

But Leroy was not really at the point where he was even drunk. Having tasted several drinks but never finishing them off for some reason. Valencia kept trying to egg him up but it fell short. Leroy only commented on feeling off a little. The stress of finally getting his Medical Practice running.

"Party pooper!" Katy teased. The woman could really drink, and a few times they thought she just get a burp in the face with her asking for more when jumping up. "Come on you weaklings, whoever out drinks me gets a 1,000 dollars!"

Katy was white girl wasted and was having the time of her life. Her law firm just settled the biggest medical case they ever had and she couldn't help but cut loose. Thanks to Leroy and Hector doing work behind the scenes made it easier.

"You are on!" Valencia shouted. Moving from Leroy join the wild woman at the table. "Beer or hard liquor?"

"Beer!" Katy smacked the table. Her jacket already on the chair with a few buttons loose on her sleeves. She looked ready to brawl more than drink. You could take the girl out of the Bronx, but not the Bronx out of the girl! "You better last more than 30 minutes this time!"

"Hehe, we will see who loses this time!" Valencia shouted back. Her hair tied in a tight bun by a rubber band. Michael sat by just eating chicken wings nonstop. By the looks of it, he was done with his unusual diet. "Winner gets to punch Michael in the face!"

"Burp!" Michael blinked looking at the two. Then he rembered he was the punching bag for this month. As in the literal punching bag for trying fighting moves on. "If you think your fists are strong enough, bring it yah gypsy!"

Katy and Valencia grinned at each other then eyeballed the others in the bar. Hector, whose bar they were in looked around making sure the last of his regular customers were leaving before giving the go-ahead.

"Go ahead, I need to redecorate anyway!" Hector, a former bodybuilder now Architect moved to turn off the open sign. He stopped seeing an old man passing by. "Hey, who are you, old-timer?" Hector knew 80% of the people in the community, this old man was not one of them. "An out of towner?"

"Hehe, no just someone returning home is all." The old-timer turned back taking of the dusty hat worn. "Been a mighty long time since I walk these streets little Hector. How's that mother of yours Lucy, we like to call her?"

Hector frowned gripping the door handle tightly. His mom's name was Lucia but her friends called her Lucy. The wrong kind of friends at that.

"The bitch died 15 years ago from her shitty pimp gutting her." Hector felt a hand on his shoulder as Leroy had walked over. "But don't worry, we took care of all the debt accumulated by the idiots."

"Hmm, this old-timer looks familiar. I just don't know where from though." Leroy signaled the others to keep carrying on. They would the old-timer. "That locket your mom left, you still have it?"

"Tch, yeah I do!" Hector pulled the locket out that was clipped around his belt. No matter how much he hated his mother, he couldn't bring himself to throw away the locket that had a picture of his brothers and himself in it. "If any of my brothers were your son, you can meet them at North Babylon Cemetery."

"Woah, what got you out of shape?" Richard another of their friends made it finally. He was the one who had a flat tire. A look at the old-timer gave the young man the creeps. 'Not even fresh corpses in the morgue bother me this much. What the hell is going on now?'

"Just a misunderstanding." The old-timer said. It was odd as before the voice was more masculine but sounded slightly sweeter now. Hector and Leroy didn't catch the change in the facial features either. Despite staring at the individual in front of them. "Just a friend of your parents and good old Rexford in there. But it seems you are very busy and I do not want to ruin the festivities."

The old-timer promptly turned and left. Not wanting to deal with the matter more than they had to, Hector closed the door after the others went back inside. Any of his friends that came after could either let themselves in or knock.

In the short amount of time they dealt with the old-timer, the party kicked up a little more.

Michael had eaten to much and kept burping. His blonde hair ruffled messily from when Katy who won the drinking contest flipped him into a wall.

Rexford was cutting jokes trying to make him laugh hard enough that the other puked. By the looks of it though, Valencia was the only one close to puking her guts out. She made the mistake during the drinking contest to look back at the door. Mainly because of Richard arriving but the sight of the old-timer made her stomach turn something fierce.

"I just got here and you are already a few shades to the wind." Richard rubbed his wife's shoulders a bit. "Did you at least last 30 minutes?"

She shook no ashamed. Barely even 4 minutes really.

"She chugged like a champ though!" Katy slurred just a bit as she grabbed a pitcher and chugged it all down. "Burrrp! Delicious!" The empty pitcher was shattered against the wall. "I want some more!"

"More!" A voice shouted from the back. Mia rolled out some beer they were getting ready to throw out due to it being hard to keep chill in their cooler. Which was going on the fritz thus her pushing for renovations so much lately. "More than your wee little body can handle!"

"I'll show you wee little body!" Katy smacked Valencia on the back getting her attention. "Come on, round two! No work tomorrow for anyone!" A few cheers and they moved around fixing drinks for everyone. "Come on Hector, you sourpuss!"

"Shit, don't have to tempt me." Hector finished his talk with Rexford and Leroy and went over to have fun. 'Just need to unwind is all. To much work makes me cranky.'

Leroy and Rexford shook their heads while laughing. Seeing everyone so lively was always good after all the trouble the last year brought. Leroy couldn't help but put the old-timer in the back of his mind while switching gears to find out what was bothering Rexford.

"So spill Mr.Businessman, what is bothering you?" They sat down far enough away to keep beer and debris from hitting them. But close enough to hear what the others were yelling about. One of the barbacks brought over some lemonade before clocking out for the night. "Finally decide to stop traveling?"

"Not even." Rexford gripped his knees tightly under the table. "Actually will have to travel more soon. What you think, how about joining me?"

"No way." Leroy grinned. It was tempting but he was just not at a place he could do so right now. "Just have the practice right were I want it. Might be able to do that childhood dream we all shared when little."

"Heh, to change the world into a better place. We were such idiots back then.. still now to." Rexford's eyes closed just a little at a painful memory. "But I don't think we could face Mera without trying a little. Did make that promise."

"Felt like that promise would have been broken without you and Hector making those arrangements back then."

"Somebody have to make the bodies drop and disappear." Rexford grinned, he enjoyed doing it after all. As did Hector who was borderline becoming a hitman if things were not watched. "I think Katy has caught on to some of the work we did overseas in Africa."

"That is a pity, but it was so long ago things should be fine. No witnesses remained after all. Well.. except those kids. I doubt they were ungrateful to give descriptions of us." Leroy's eyes looked at the wall and all the pictures of the various people on it. "I mean, we saved them and treated them and killed the insurgents there, it should be enough to buy their silence."

"You would think." Rexford pulled out a file from his coat. "Three of them grew up alright but the last was adopted by this guy." Pointing at the first picture then the third left no doubt. "This kid.. is running a Cabal now. Not causing trouble here in the states but elsewhere.."

"Tch! Not here not worrying about it." Leroy closed the file. "Are you and Hector going to take care of it?"

"No, business prevents it." Rexford did not like the frown his friend had on. "Not that kind of business. Using them to get close to the runners in SouthEast Asia. Thinking of tapping Mia to introduce me into a "viable" business there."

"Hmm, not a bad idea but what about her fiance Jerome? The last time you arrange work for her, he almost died. He may not be a friend of ours, but Mia is." Leroy spotted Joseph getting up in a hurry. "Where's the fire?"

"Haa, my sister is having trouble at the house. Something stupid but I need to check on it." Joseph already had a cab waiting on him outside. "I will come back if I can, keep me updated. If it gets called early I will see you guys online later."

As the friends waved goodbye, Leroy and Rexford went back to talking.

"I value my friends more than anything, I rather not cause problems for Mia like that. So I will find someone elsewhere." Rexford never let personal affect business to much but when personal allowed for more special business opportunities, things were a bit tricky. "So when are you going to get married?"

"Pffft!" Leroy spat his lemonade out in surprise. "Huk! That is to weird of a question. Not even with anyone currently." Composing himself, a few of the others laughed at his ruined shirt. "Who gave you that crazy idea?"

"Hehe, well.. I just thought you and Rachel..."

"Woah I just went over to comfort her from a bad breakup, nothing happened." He raised his hands up in protest. "In fact, where is Rachel?"

"Stopped by a train that broke down, said she will be here eventually." Richard yelled. He already had his tie around his head in a drinking contest with Katy. "I am going to dethrone you today!"

"Fat chance!" Katy picked up her pace drinking in bigger gulps now. It was slightly maddening to see her put away so much booze. Where did she keep it all?!

"Hmm, maybe I was wrong." Rexford opened his phone checking a few text messages as they talked. He even received one from Rachel that asked if Leroy had made it already. 'Man, these two are going to have it bad in the future.'

*Zoop!* The environment started to slow down once more. Rexford, had forgotten about it until just now, he looked to the street seeing the old-timer again. A bright gold light burning where eyes should be. A shining light met his gaze.

The old-timer's clothes turned into golden robes that hid its figure. Blinking once, Rexford watched time catch up quickly. The old-timer was none other than Destiny, and it did not like to be kept waiting.

Looking back at his friends, Rexford couldn't help feeling like he failed them somehow. There was still a small chance to change things, however.

They continued on partying for a little longer. Right around 1:00 they decided to go for a walk before hitting another location. The laughing and giggling were heard down several streets, but none messed with the group.

People were happy to mind their own business for once. That and they knew Hector, Leroy, and Rexford carried. Valencia and Katy carried as well but not tonight considering they knew heavy drinking would be involved.

*Zoop!* Time completely froze instead of slowing down. A gold light washed over Rexford's friends before disappearing.

"Do you think it best to keep them here any longer?" Destiny questioned. Its voice coming from every direction. Already knowing with each passing moment events just turned worse in other Dimensions. "It has already been a year since each of them were supposed to be taken by the various Pantheons that seek them."

"Tch, they can eat a bag of shit for all I care!" Rexford's eyes were hard as he stared out. What did he care about if a few Dimensions collapsed all together? Thats for those who have power that presides over there fault. Not his or that of his friends. "They should have found others to take their place. To busy fighting amongst each other and backstabbing to do their fucking jobs!"

*Ptuh!* Spitting in disgust, Rexford hated the various Deities for several reasons. Let alone for the fact they ruined things here in his Home Dimension millennia ago, but they set eyes upon those of his close friends a few years back as well.

*Shine!* A Black and Gold light left from Rexford. It swallowed a weird clear energy in the surroundings. This caused time to return to normal in an instant.

"If you are done standing there, come on!" Joseph shouted. Having returned he was dreading having to go back for some other reason. Just then, his phone started to ring. It was his sister who was supposed to be there with them having fun by now. "Hello?"

As he answered that call, the others got a table outside at the next bar. Katy, Valencia, and Ashton ordered some water and bread until everyone gathered up again. A few went to the bathroom and others took phone calls outside.

Rexford watched as Destiny appeared across the street. Standing still, his eyes darted around not seeing time having stopped. Which was not a good sign. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he dreaded turning back.

"My man, you see that over there?" Leroy pointed at Destiny. His eyes felt like ants were crawling on them so he kept blinking and looking away to relieve the pain. But like a moth to a flame, he couldn't resist. "I swear I can feel like a fire burning under my skin or something."

Before Rexford could address that, things went from bad to worse.

*Rip!* A black tear opened up in the sky. It swallowed up various people including his friends inside. Rexford couldn't even budge standing there watching them get dragged away. Then he saw the moving darkness shake the Dimension altogether.

"The Unending Army... shit." His fist balled up ready to fight. Common sense could not prevent him from charging at the mass of intangible darkness. 'They are all gone.. just like that!'

*Shine!* A golden light pulsed from the tear's in the sky. Rexford could see his friends floating before various "lights" snatched them all away. The streetlights in the area were all out and the only sound to be heard belong to the regular people pulled out of th collapsed space.

"Where did they take them?!" Rexford almost demanded. Black Gold energy wafted off his body. The power of his soul pushing hard against the confines of the Dimension. He was starting to become a threat to the very Aspects that held the Dimension togethor here. "Bring them back!" He shouted fiercely.

"I am not the one that took them." Destiny's gold robes fluttered while it moved around the area. Each lift of the hand, and the terrain returned to normal a little. "The various Pantheons actually saved them from the Unending Armys plans. You should be happy or at least grateful."

"Grateful!? They have kids damn it! Veela (Valencia) has twins waiting on her at home! Leroy Practice was just getting to the point he wanted! Hector has so many families that depend on him!" Rexford screamed despite the pain of his voice. He started to shake with uncontrollable rage. Which only made matters worse. "Break the rules and bring them back!"

"I will not." Destiny moved around the area waving its hands once more. Restoring the "tear" in the Dimension from the Undending Army and the Pantheon's actions. "They were supposed to die here back then a year ago but you.. you altered their Fate. Which is still causing trouble in other Dimensions."

"Then let me do the work for all of them then!" Rexford finally felt the pain in his chest spread to every limb of his body. "Just let.. me.. do.. it.." Blood started coming from his eyes and ears. He did not belong in the Dimension anymore.

"It does not work that way." Destiny's voice actually sounded a little regretful. Almost, if one listened well enough. "They will save multiple Dimensions and their children here.." Rexford's eyes shined in malice staring at Destiny. ".. will be safe and help stabilize Earth if need be. But I see nothing of the sort happening here that will need that to happen. They did not have enough "children" and "change" enough to anchor to this life. But what their children will have learned, and what you have set up will give them that opportunity. But that is only because their parents are now dead here."

Destiny's eyes shined as different Scenarios played out in an instant. The best outcome was that the parents never returned. Considering they were supposed to die a year ago, it was more than they were entitled to. Some people were just better off dead for the sake of others.

By the looks of it, Rexford was understanding that in the back of his mind. Considering the number of bodies under his belt and a few of his friends, they already lived that type of lifestyle.

*Thump!* Rexford dropped to his knees in pain. Visibly, his very flesh started to peel away. His soul to powerful for his human body. In the corner of his eye, he saw a woman come over in a purple toga with black hair. The tan skin looked lovely the more he stared.

"Gaia, what do I owe the visit?" Destiny turned to the Goddess/Titaness as its appearance changed once more. No longer the image of an old man but that of an old woman. "Surely you have not run into trouble?"

"No.. just felt the massive disturbance. Imagine my surprise you were involved." Gaia passed a small glance to Rexford. A small purple breeze eased the pain he was under for a bit. The very action caused a purple streak of hair to appear on her head. "It feels like those who should not belong finally have left. That is good."

"Good!?" Rexford despite the relief she gave him, was still mad about the situation. "How much longer will people have to pay for the mistakes of the Pantheons?! Why can't you all just leave us alone!?"

"Until the end of time at this rate." Gaia was not angry or offended. Despite knowing a little more than a regular human, Rexford was still unaware of the grand workings of the Dimensions. "You "Champions" need to step up more and not cause more trouble than failures. That would also help matters."

"We are as good as those that created us!" Rexford shouted back. Both he and Leroy were super petty.

"Enough Rexford." A voice cut from the darkness. A large dark skin man walked out. Red white flames circling around his body. It was the man-god Shango. "The more you dally, the more the innocent suffer. Allow me to escort you to the Waiting Area at least."

"I refuse!" Struggling to his feet, Rexford stared the man-god down. "You are the one that wants Leroy! Well, you can't have him!" A man against an ascended man-God did not make for a good match. "Who grabbed Hector!?"

"Tiamat did." Gaia said. Seeing the power growing in Rexford, she wanted to show a little goodwill now for the future. She did not have the power to help him overall currently. "Michael was taken by Odin, Rachel by Hera, Valencia by Vishnu, Joseph will be taken by..."

"Kuff!" Rexford felt his blood flow in the opposite direction. He was dying and nothing could really be done to help him. "Destiny... another business deal... how about it?!" His voice came out pleading. Containing the power of a dying man's breath and that of a shattered soul.

"I am listening." Destiny wrapped time around Rexford. Suspending him between Dimensions to prevent the ending of his soul, it would not allow him to ever return to this earth but that was far from concern at this point. "Speak clearly and true."

"I will serve until the "End Times" arrive if you let me help my friends again." Rexford already made a deal once to have one year to change their fate from dying. It didn't work but this was the only thing he could think of to try again. "You do not interfere in what I do as long as the rules are obeyed of course. Do we have a deal?"

Shango and Gaia would remember this day for a long time. It was the day they saw the beginning of an Evil Champion move about the Dimensions.

"Of course." Destiny smiled creating a horrific sight. Rexford fainted as his eyes exploded along with his body collapsing a few seconds later. "On your way now." With a flick, Destiny set him to the 1st Dimension he needed to go to.

"It is best I head out. Leroy's soul is already off course still." Shango turned to disappear. He would have nightmares from Destiny's horrific face. A realization hit him however so he had to ask. "What Pantheon does Rexford belong to?"

"Oh... you sure you want to know?" Destiny's voice came out somewhat amused. "I can tell you, but it comes with a cost." Shango's face turned white as a sheet. Which was quite a feat for an African God like himself.

*Fwish!* Shango left in red-white flames instead of answering.

"I want to know." Gaia was not deterred.

"He belongs to mine." Destiny answered. Gaia fell to her butt looking dazed. "The cost... is you can never tell anyone. Understand? Even if war happens." Gold energy wrapped around the area as the two left the Dimension. 'I wonder if that fool will speak?'

Destiny was referring to the other Deity that watched from the shadows. Xiwangmu, of the Chinese Pantheon whose Aspects were that of creation and destruction, tapped into quite a few other Pantheons, stepped away with an unusual look on her face.