Mathias

He sat there alone in the dorm, at the table eating a bowl of cereal. It's a small room, Mathias thought, but its cozy enough I guess. The walls of the dorm were a simple white, and the carpets were a peach color. At the far corner of the room next to the window, a curtain closed over it, was a bed big enough to fit two people. Opposite to the bed was a wooden door that led to the restroom. In between the bed and bathroom was a marble counter with cabinets above it and a small fridge and freezer underneath. Next to the fridge, there was a dish washer. Behind Mathias was a moderately sized flat-screen television, in case he was bored and wanted to watch something; or if there was an emergency.

He looked down at his bowl, filled to the very brim with cheerios and milk. He was more lonely than hungry. He wondered if the lord commander of the Borderlines would give him another assignment. I wish he would. When Mathias first joined the Borderlines, he would always assign him simple tasks. If Mathias weren't the lord commander's steward, he would have partaken in the more "deadly" missions. The lord commander was a reasonable guy, respected by the near quintillion Borderline recruits, especially by Mathis himself.

Is it the boredom that makes me lonely, or is it something else, Mathias wondered. He hadn't seen his family in over a year, especially his twin brother Matthew. I remember my brother. Matthew McBacon was a lot fatter than he was, and dumber too. Mathias assumed he had gotten a head injury when he was very young. Maybe the bullying from his rude friend Tyler had taken its toll as well. Poor Matt. Why does everyone hate you, even your friends? Do you annoy them, or do the laws of the Second World force you to take that part?

The Three Worlds; three separate universes created after the Armageddon of the Pre-Universe. Mathias always wondered what it was like back then. An ancient man named Galzo was the only survivor of the Pre-Universe's destruction. It was said that he established the Borderlines station, along with thirty thousand others. If one were to ask him about the Pre-Universe or the construction of the Borderlines station, he would refuse to answer him or her. "Even if I did tell you, you would go mad," Galzo said. "The Pre-Universe is not for the eyes to see, and the station's construction is not for the ears to hear. Simply, it's beyond the comprehension of the Three Worlds."

Then Mathias heard the words of his lord commander echo through the room. "Mathias, I need you to come up to my office. There's a few things I need you talk to you about."

"Sure thing," Mathias replied. "I'm on my way."

Mathias went to the steel door, turned its knob, and opened it. The station was like a massive city. Its buildings were huge, but the lord commander's building was the tallest. There were blue beams of light illuminating from the ground. Each light signified where they were: blue was the First World, purple the Second, and red the Third. In the distance, Mathias saw the First World. It was impossible to see a thing, but he knew there were several planets, galaxies, and stars. If one were to count all the stars, it would take at least two eternities. Universes were massive, but a rare phenomenon to look at.

Mathias walked through the pavilion. He saw two of the Borderlines he knew, sitting on a bench and chatting. One was Solace the Ivysaur, his eyes were gold unlike the typical purple eyes. He was talking to his best friend Bello Deviante, one of the Borderline's top agents and a sexual deviant; he was really good at getting into a woman's clothes, some women anyway.

It took Mathias almost an hour to each to reach the lord commander's building. It was so high, that when he looked up at this massive skyscraper, he couldn't see the top. When Mathias first joined the Borderlines, he thought the building went up endlessly went he first came across it. The building's outer walls were white, with sapphire colored beams ascending upwards—the other buildings were nowhere near as tall, only being gray with blue, purple, or red beams depending on where one resides.

Mathias went to the entrance door. Above it was a golden arch that was nearly thirty feet high. He knocked on the door three times, as he was required. "Facial recognition is required for further access," the voice of an emotionless woman informed. A cyan light flashed in Mathias's eyes very quickly, which made him jump. He hated that, but it was required of him. "Mathias McBacon," the voice confirmed. "Steward to the Lord Commander of the Borderlines. Proceed."

The entrance door opened, and Mathias walked inside. The hallway he walked through was massive. Its walls were white and had a smooth marble texture, as well as the floor. Mathias walked on a carpet, the same sapphire color as the outer building's beams. On the walls, there were various paintings depicting events that have occurred in the Three Worlds, mostly the first. The paintings that stood out to him were the Desolation of Saur, The Great Mushroom War, Ganondorf's Defeat, and lastly The Red Wedding. The lord commander had told him that the last event did not happen yet, because the Borderlines station was located outside of space and time. Therefore, it did not follow its rules.

The walk took several minutes, but Mathias had arrived at an elevator. He clicked a button, and the doors opened instantly. He walked inside, and the doors had shut automatically. Then, up he went. Mathias never felt the elevator rise. If he did, the ride would have been so fast, his body would tear to shreds from the intense G-force.

The ride was barely lasted a minute. The elevator doors opened again, and he saw the lord commander standing in front of his desk, waiting for him. He was a man, short in stature, but a human like Mathias. His nose was abnormally larger than a normal human though, and it looked more like a clown nose. His red shirt, cap, and overalls were faded by the years. His brown hair, and moustache had become gray and he had wrinkles as well, no thanks to his old age.

The office itself was only a molecule compared to the rest of the building. The ground's carpets were gray and there were no walls, but thick windows. One could see each of the Three Worlds from each window.

"Mathias," said the commander. "Come in." He did as he commanded, as the elevator door shut behind him. Holding onto his cane, he walked over to Mathias. The old man held out his hand, wearing the same glove he had since his early days. "A hand shake."

"Oh, sorry." Mathias chuckled, then gently grasped his hand and shook. "I was a little absent-minded there for a second."

The commander nodded. "I wanted to personally congratulate you on your first stable time loop. You've gotten yourself onto a book about the multiverse in Dreamland." They let go.

"Thank you."

"And for a second, I thought you would demand compensation." The commander gave off a strange look, but it wasn't directed at Mathias.

"Is something wrong, sir," Mathias asked.

"Dreamland…it sounds familiar somehow, but I don't know why."

"Well, reports say there's another you in the First World sir. Maybe you're getting the recollections from him," Mathias assumed.

"That's a possibility, but a story for another day," the commander said.

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about sir?" Mathias knew that he was sent up here for a reason, not just to be congratulated on a stable time loop.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm assigning you another mission, which I'm sure you're happy about. As you know, tomorrow is going to be a very major day for the Borderlines. You know what that is?"

Mathias nodded. "Over twenty thousand scouts are being sent to the Pre-Universe, to learn of its cultures, environments, and other things." Much to Gozal's dismay.

"Things that we can't comprehend," the commander admitted. "Dangerous to our kind, the elder says."

"Then…why do it, if it's so dangerous," Mathias asked. Did I just question the lord Commander of the Borderlines? I could get in so much trouble!

"Because, McBacon, we need that information." For a second, Mathias thought he was going to get snapped at, or punished for talking back. "It's the one of the two purposes of the Borderlines; to travel space and time, and learn as much as we can about the Three Worlds and its 'predecessor', no matter what the consequences are. Gozal won't tell us anything, so we have to do it ourselves."

It's too extreme, commander, Mathias wanted to tell him, but all he could was nod. The commander did not mind being questioned by those beneath him, but he was the commander. It was disrespectful to question someone with a higher rank.

The other purpose of the Borderlines was to protect all Three Worlds from threats that could potentially destroy them. If there was a threat in one of the alternate universes, at first, they would not take action. If the threat became dangerously more apparent, or seeped into another of the three worlds, the Borderlines would take action. There were times when the Borderlines themselves were the threats, but that was long before Mathias joined them.

"Gozal, that arrogant old man," the commander said. "I hope nobody from the Pre-Universe era acts like him." He rubbed his temple. "Maybe he has good intentions. Maybe he thinks we're not ready to comprehend what is was like, but it's our duty to research and defend no matter the cost. I wish things were different, but..." The commander changed the subject. "Your mission, Mathias, is to escort me to the Gate of Space and Time and help me see the twenty-thousand off."

"It would be an honor," Mathias said with courtesy.

"It's always an honor. You've had that honor for the past year."

Mathias nodded. "And I hope to have it longer, sir."

The commander smiled. "You remind me of my old friends sometimes. We should be on our way. It'll take some time, and I am an old man."

Mathias and the commander took the same elevator down, then walked across the hall for some time. This is taking longer than last time. The commander, as he said, was an old man. His leg was giving up, which was why he used a cane. He was breathing heavily, as he struggled to walk. Minutes passed until he finally said something.

"Damn my age," he muttered. "If I was young, we would've gotten to our destination in a heartbeat. Hell, I would've jumped there with my fist in the air, screaming 'Wahoo!'"

It took Mathias a few seconds to think of a response. "I'm sure you were quite the jumper when you were young."

"It was my 'signature talent', the people of the Mushroom Kingdom used to say. It's strange for a human to jump so high, and considering I'm a dwarf. Even my brother had that talent, but I was the one in the spotlight."

"How is your brother?"

"I haven't heard from him since I joined the Borderlines, and why are you asking me these questions?"

"I'm sorry commander," Mathias said. "I won't ask…"

"It's fine, McBacon. Right now, I'd rather focus on the mission. I don't want anything else in my conscience, especially my past."

The walk through the long hall was silent. After several minutes, Mathias and the lord commander were finally at the door. It opened on its own, as it did last time, and the two left the building. The lord commander turned left, and Mathias followed. If I went to the right and kept walking for an hour, I would've been home, Mathias noticed

"We're off to the Fast Travel Station," the commander said.

"It must be very far," Mathias observed. "How long do you think it would take if we were to walk all that way, sir?"

"Too long," he answered. "At least a millennium. What, do you plan to walk all that way?"

"No sir."

Mathias and the commander continued their journey to the Fast Travel Station. As they walked, their fellow Borderlines noticed them. Some preferred to look at them, to keep their distance, but others went to greet them, and some wanted to talk. "I can't chat," he said to one of them; a humanoid with orange skin, green hair, and brown eyes. He wore a gray long coat, and red jeans. "I'll be very busy for the next few days."

"But it's important sir," he pleaded. "Just hear me out! The…"

The commander interrupted. "Important, unimportant, we'll speak later."

The man gave up quickly, Mathias realized. He walked away from them, with a distressful look on his face. Mathias wanted to go over to him and ask what was wrong, but he kept following his leader. They continued walking for a couple minutes, and they saw the Fast Travel Station in front of them.

"This is it," Mathias observed.

The fast travel station was as tall and wide as an airport. It was as gray and detailed with blue beams of light as any other building. In front of the building, there was a statue of an arrow pointing upwards; which signified that it was a fast travel station. There were billions of these stations, Mathias knew, most likely more; too many to even count.

When Mathias and the commander entered the building, they came across a reception desk. The woman who stood at the reception desk was a human around the same height as Mathias. Her hair and skin were chocolate brown, and she had a friendly smile—the same friendly smile he always held.

"Lord Commander," she said, "and Mathias."

"Hi Lena," Mathias said before smirking. Whenever a girl spoke to him, it made him feel nervous. He tried his best to hide it, but it was blatant enough for her to notice.

Lena nodded, then spoke to the lord commander. "Off to the Time Gate?"

"The Gate of Space and Time, actually," the lord commander answered. "We'll need two platforms."

"Right away." Lena looked to a monitor on the desk, tapped it a few times. "Okay, you're all set. Your travelling platform is on the second floor, left to the stairs. It has the shortest line." Then Mathias noticed that she was talking to him.

He nodded awkwardly. "Yeah," was all he could say.

"I'll see you there," the lord commander said. Due to being the highest rank in the Borderlines, he always got the privilege of having an exclusive platform, which was at the highest point of the building. He would take an elevator and a platform would be there for him, in the center of the room. If any other Borderline attempted to use this platform it would not work, because it was encoded with the lord commander's DNA. Wasn't Mathias the lord commander's steward? Shouldn't he have the right to use it too? It wasn't his right to judge, but he still found it questionable.

The lord commander and Mathias parted ways for the time being. Mathias walked across the large room and saw the crowds of people walking around. At every far side, he saw tons of doors and tons of people waiting outside them. Some of the lines started in the distance, but others started close to where he was. They're all waiting to be sent to their destinations. Why does this remind me of an airport? Mathias kept walking for several minutes, growing a little anxious. There were tons of people there, more than he realized.

After walking in a compacted area for several minutes, gently pushing others aside and them to him, the stairway was right in front him. Finally, he thought in relief. He began walking up the stairs, holding onto the rail so he wouldn't fall. That, and there's so many people here! It took a little bit to climb them, but there it was: the door where he would wait. The shortest line…you're kidding, right? The line started several meters from the door. There were almost eighty people waiting, and more at the opposite end of the door. The lord commander's a patient guy. I hope his patience is as incomprehensible as the Pre-Universe. I hope mine is too.

Mathias had gotten in back of the line, then he waited. He used his thoughts to help keep him busy. He started thinking about the Gate of Space and Time. He had heard about that place before, several times, but he had never seen it first-hand. The anticipation was killing him, but he had to keep himself distracted. He started thinking about the mission. He knew some of them, the ones who were assigned to this task.

Some of them had high reputations, like Erots the Regnum, and his brother Shai and sister Kell. Those three were very capable at what they did, and those Mathias had interviewed in the past said they were "inspirations", "honorable", and "badass." Those three were sadly the last of their kind. Their race was wiped out in a nuclear war. The poor Regnums never knew about the fallout that had spread, and they found out too late.

There were some others Mathias knew, like King Trident the Empoleon. Many of the fellow Borderlines praised him for his strength and valor, while others considered him stupid and reckless. Two decades before Mathias joined the Borderlines, there was a rebellion in the Third World section; five-hundred thousand traitors. The lord commander had sent triple the soldiers there, King Trident being one of them, to end the rebellion. One of the Borderlines went to reason with the rebel leader, but was killed as soon as he spoke the terms. King Trident saw no reasoning in them, and he declared war. The fight lasted for several weeks, then the rebel leader, presumably, saw the error of his ways and went to discuss peace terms. King Trident killed him, for he thought the man was irredeemable. Mathias never met him, but the lord commander told him that he was headstrong and honorable; that he only he saw the world in black and white.

As the lord commander's steward, one of Mathias's role was to assist in the interviews. Whenever, for example, a dozen people return from their missions they would have to be interviewed. The lord commander would interview six of them, and Mathias would interview the other half. Mathias would have to type up a report and give it to the lord commander as soon as he could.

Two hours went by. In that time, Mathias had gotten to the other end of that door and in front of him was another line that went straight. He eavesdropped on people's conversations to keep himself occupied. Most of them were talking about the Pre-Universe expedition, then Mathias realized that some of them were going on that expedition. Eventually, Mathias saw that bright white flash whenever one were to transport to a certain location. Then the platform itself came into view. It was a large and triangular shaped with a constant white glow. Mathias stepped onto the platform, then there was an abrupt flash.

Mathias flinched, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the Gate of Space and Time in view. It was a huge arch that was as high as a skyscraper. There were beams of purple lights in the arch. Purple is the color of the Second World, my universe. He walked down a flight of stairs, and he saw a pavillion. It was like the one by Mathias's home, except the lights were a different color. It's like the one back home.

Mathias continued walking, and he saw a bench. I should wait for the lord commander here. No matter where I am, he always finds me. He took a seat, then looked at the huge arch in the distance.

"Hey, Mathias!" Mathias jumped when she heard someone call his name. He looked where the voice came from, and he saw her. It was a young woman, around his age. She was skinny, and had golden hair that went down to her shoulders. Her eyes were black dots and she lacked a nose, typical traits of a Type-B Human.

"Lucy," Mathias called for. The only girl I'm capable of talking to.

She sat next to him. "I knew I'd find you here."

"I'm glad you did." Mathias smiled. "How'd you find me?"

"I go where the plumps sit," she joked.

"C'mon." Mathias laughed. "I'm not that fat." He looked down at his chubby body and heard Lucy's giggle. "Well…not as fat as my brother. Also, I think the 'plumps' are at the food stands and restaurants."

She gave him a quick hug. "The lord commander's at the Guest Lounge. He told me to bring you there."

"Then, let's get going." The lord commander had been waiting for hours. Mathias would not keep him waiting any longer. Lucy stood up, and pulled Mathias off the bench. They began walking. Mathias tried to start up a conversation. "So…"

"So?"

"How long will it take to get there," Mathias asked.

"Ten minutes, unless you want to run." Lucy smiled. He loved it when she does that. It always gave him a warm, fuzzy feeling.

"I'd rather walk. I don't want to be tired out when we see the lord commander." I want to spend time with you.

"You look a little tired out right now," Lucy said.

Mathias put a hand on his cheek, and he knew it. I'm blushing. "Well…it doesn't matter if I'm tired. The lord commander is expecting me, so…"

"You don't have to call him the 'Lord Commander of the Borderlines' all the time, Mathias. Just call him Mario."

"Mario," Mathias repeated. "Lord Commander Mario of the Borderlines: it's got a nice ring to it."

Lucy nodded. "Yeah."

"Just a question? Uh, why are you here? If I sounded rude, I'm sorry. I'm just curious."

"Well…I'm..." She was nervous, Mathias could tell. "I was…listen Mathias, you may not like what I'm about to tell you."

"You're one of the twenty-thousand being sent to the Pre-Universe," Mathias realized. No! Why you?

Lucy began to fidget with her golden hair, a sign that she was nervous. Whenever someone mentioned a dangerous mission to her, she tends to get that like. "Yes. I'm one of the best when it comes to exploration and knowledge gathering. It's what I do. Won't be so bad, right?"

"I'm sure you'll be fine. You're always fine. Even in the most dangerous of situations, you always manage to get out unscathed."

"I'm not sure, this time," Lucy said before she frowned. Seeing her upset was more painful than a terrible wound. Mathias could tear up at that sometimes. "Galzo said we could lose our minds if we went there."

"You'll hold on." Mathias wanted to hug her so badly, but something stopped him.

"I doubt it." Lucy took a long breath. "Thanks for the support, Mathias." He saw her sad smile; it was still a pretty sight to look at. Even when she was upset, she still looked cute.

Maybe I should change the subject. "I was thinking…maybe you wanted to…come to the Second World with me some day, when I visit my brother and his friend."

"If I survive, sure." She was still upset. "What's it like at the Second World anyway? I've only been there once for a mission. I heard that universe was dangerous, almost as bad as the Third World."

"Well…" Mathias wondered how to begin. "The Second World is—how do I put this—random. There's this strange essence called the 'Randomness.'"

"Randomness? You're kidding me, right?" She was becoming happy again. "It sounds like something you would hear in a silly cartoon show."

"That's what everyone calls it, at least those who are aware of it. The Randomness...affects logic in, well, every aspect possible. There's times when something that's impossible is possible one day, and then it's impossible again the next day."

"Like throwing a pie at someone, and causing a war," Lucy asked.

"Actually, that did happen." She looked like she was about to burst out laughing. Mathias wouldn't mind if she did, as long as she was happy. "Some terrorist threw a pie at the president, and caused a war. The news said it was disgraceful, humiliating, and it was raspberry flavored."

"What?" Lucy lips quivered, as she smiled.

"The president hates raspberry hates, so he declared war." Mathias knew it was going to happen.

She started laughing, but quickly stopped herself. "I'm sorry. That was rude…Honestly, Mathias that was…"

"Stupid? Trust me. A lot of things in the Second World are stupid. Even my brother Matthew, who is considered the dumbest person to exist, is aware of its stupidity."

"Okay, now I'm really interested in going. Maybe when I get back from the Pre-Universe, you and I could go. I could meet your brother and his friend. What's his name?"

"Tyler," Mathias answered bitterly. I wish he'd stop bullying my brother, and be a real friend.

"I can't wait to meet them," Lucy said.

The next thing Mathias knew, he and Lucy were outside the Guest Lounge. It reminded him of a hotel in a way. There were large panes surrounding the lounge itself. Opposite of them, inside, he saw a reception desk, comfortable couches and seats, a flat-screen on the wall, and the lord commander standing inside.

Mathias and Lucy went through automatic door, as clear as the window panes. "Lord Commander," Lucy greeted.

Lord Commander Mario turned around. "Ah, Mathias. You're finally here. Thank you Lucy, for sending him."

"Is there anything you want me to do sir," Mathias asked.

"I'd like to have a word with you in private. Lucy, I would like you wait outside for a minute." Lucy nodded and heeded Mario's command. "She's such sweetheart, Lucy is. Do you like her?"

Why is he asking me that? "Yes, very much."

"Good, which is why you'll be interviewing her."

"Along with the rest of my half, sir?"

"She told you?"

"Yes sir. She told me on the way here. She's pretty nervous." And I don't want her to go.

"Everyone's pretty nervous," Mario acknowledged. "It's a dangerous assignment. She may not come back, or she will, but she may not be the same person."

Then don't let her go, old man, Mathias wanted to scream at him

"I checked you into a room on the higher levels, next to mine," the commander said suddenly. "You'll have two roommates. Lucy will be one of them. The two of you don't get to see each other often, and you get along very well." That made Mathias feel much better. Lucy may not survive, so he should spend as much time as possible with her.

Mathias nodded. "Any assignments, sir?"

"Feel free to do whatever you like. I'll be busy all day and tomorrow, with meetings, and I won't need your services." Mario looked out the window and nodded, and the next thing Mathias knew, she was right next to him again. "I'll show you the suite. Come along."

Mathias and Lucy followed the lord commander into a hallway that started from the lobby. There were several doors on the left and right. They went into an elevator at the end of the hall. Mario clicked a triangular shaped button, underneath the other fifty, and they went to the top floor. The top floor was reserved for the lord commander, his steward, and special guests.

When they got out of the elevator, Mathias saw a door to the far left. "That will be your room," the lord commander informed.

"Where's your suite," Mathias asked.

"Around that turn." Mathias, Lucy, and the lord commander walked down the hall, then stopped when they were at the stewards and guests suite. "Before I go, the door has recognition software, so only you can open it."

"Thank you, lord commander."

Mario nodded, and went to his suite. Mathias looked at Lucy, who smiled back at him. With courtesy, he opened the door and let her in first. She thanked him and went inside. Mathias followed, then shut the door.

The suite was a large room, with a window that took up the wall. There was an astounding view of the Gate of Time and Space in the distance. There were two beds on the right side of the room, a table with seats and cabinets and a fridge on the left. There was a door at the far-left corner of the room, which no doubt led to the restroom. Mathias was so excited, that he never noticed the man sitting on the closer bed.

"Sup," he said. He was a Type-B human with black skin, and black hair. He wore a gray hoodie and blue jeans.

"Who are you," Mathias asked, surprised.

"Your roommate, Tim." He got out of the bed, walked over to Mathias and Lucy, then brought out his hand. He noticed Lucy and greeted her.

Mathias was confused. "What, I thought she and I were supposed to be…"

"Alone," Tim said.

"What, you didn't know," Lucy asked.

Mathias suddenly remembered the lord commander telling him that there would be two roommates, instead of just Lucy. "I forgot. Sorry about the mix-up. My name's…"

"I know you who are, Mathias. You're the lord commander's steward." Tim blinked and peered at Mathias. "I've seen you a few times around the Borderlines."

"I was doing missions for the lord commander," Mathias explained.

Tim nodded. "Do you want to get something to eat? We could food service, but I prefer a handshake first." Awkwardly, Mathias shook hands with him. "Thank you, good sir. Now, back to subject. I think we should get something to eat, besides food service."

"Why not food service?"

"I'm not in the mood for it." Tim went to Lucy. "You said something about an outdoor diner a few buildings down."

"Yeah," Lucy said. "The Gate Diner."

"I want to go there."

"But gives us an hour or two. We just got here."

Tim nodded. "Can I have a hug first?" Mathias felt awkward when he asked that, though it was directed at Lucy. She nodded and gave him a quick hug, like the she gave Mathias earlier.

Mathias decided to lay down in the bed. He went to the farther one, since Tim had taken the other one. We he sat on the edge, it was so soft and warm that he almost felt drowsy. "There's only two beds and three of us, so…"

"I'll sleep with him," Tim announced, jokingly.

"I'll do it," Lucy said. Mathias felt his hear race when he heard that.

"And the deal is sealed!"

As the hour went by, Mathias couldn't stop thinking about Lucy. As she and Tim had their friendly talks, all Mathias could do was stare at her. She looked so beautiful in her teal sweatshirt and sweats. One time, she looked at Mathias and blushed, before quickly going back to her conversation. Does she have a crush on me?

Tim snapped his fingers in front of him. "Hey, wake up from your daydreams. We're going out."

Mathias rubbed his temple. "Yeah."

And so, the three left their suite. Lucy had Mathias and Tim follow her to the Gate Diner, which was only took a minute to get there if one did not the count the time it took them to leave the hotel. There were a dozen tables outside, some of them taken. There were two flights of stairs on the left and right that led to the entrance of the diner. The three went into the diner, and sat at a booth on the side. Mathias and Lucy sat on one side, and Tim the other. When Mathias looked up, he saw no ceiling.

"The void is the ceiling," Lucy said.

Tim ordered his meal, followed by Lucy and then Mathias. He had gotten the same thing as Lucy, a stack of buttermilk pancakes. Tim had ordered the meatloaf.

"This might be our last meal," Tim said suddenly. "This meatloaf better be good."

"It will be," Lucy assured. "Before every mission, I always come here and order a stack of pancakes. When I was a kid, my mom would always take me to the local diner every Saturday. I got pancakes every time. Even when I thought about getting something else, I always got the pancakes. Before I go on a mission, I always get the same thing for nostalgia. It's because, I'm always so scared that I'm going to die…This might actually be the last time."

"Yeah…If the meatloaf's good, it'll be worth dying."

"You don't get it," Mathias heard himself say. "This is nothing to joke about. This is the most dangerous mission in Borderlines history. What if you do get killed out there, Tim?"

"Then…my watch is ended." Tim took a sip of his root beer.

"I don't want to go," Lucy admitted. "I'd rather be back home, in Schenectady hanging out with friends and family, especially my cousin."

"Then don't go." Mathias was distraught at this point. "Go back home and do what you said. You were right, the Pre-Universe is dangerous, incomprehensible."

"I wish I could, but I'm obligated to the Borderlines, just like you and Tim."

"I understand." If I could take your place Lucy, I'd do it and you wouldn't have to suffer.

Everyone was quiet when the meals arrived. Everyone was quiet when they ate their meals, until Mathias heard a familiar voice. "Hey Tim!" Solace the Ivysaur appeared, and Bello Deviante with him. "How are things?" Solace sat next to him, his front legs rested on the table. "Big day tomorrow, I heard."

"Yep," Tim replied.

"The Pre-Universe. That's gonna be hell."

"At least we're going somewhere easier, Solace," Bello said. He was a humanoid with the appearance of a Type-B Human. His skin was a light green and his hair a dirty blonde, combed to the side. He wore a trench coat, like the man Mathias saw earlier, and black pants. There was a clean suit hidden beneath, with a hot pink tie.

"The lord commander's sending us and ten others to the Land of Ooo to research its weirdness," Solace explained.

"That's odd," Mathias said. "The lord commander hasn't told me about it."

"Maybe he doesn't tell you everything, just the important stuff."

"Aren't all research missions important?"

"Do you ask a lot of questions," Bello asked; there was no hint of respect in his voice. Mathias said nothing. "Don't answer."

"We're leaving for our mission the day after Lucy and Tim leave for theirs," Solace said.

"And when we get there, Solace…" Bello's tone sounded suggestive. "…I'll be Princess Bubblegum's bed, pleasuring her and myself."

Disgusting! Mathias thought. He looked at Lucy, and she was very disturbed.

"Why would you want to fuck a candy woman," she asked in disgust.

"You know Lucy…" There was a creepy grin on his face. "…when I get back from you, I'll be pleasuring you next."

Mathias wouldn't listen to him. "You can stick your dick up your own butthole, your perv."

Bello grabbed him, and forced Mathias to look at him. Mathias got nervous when he saw him leering. "Or better, I'll stick 'your' dick up your own butthole."

"Bello, stop," Solace warned him. Bello let go of Mathias and stormed out of the restaurant. "He's such a pain in the ass sometimes. I'm sorry he did that." All Mathias could do was nod. "Pretty nuts what you did. You're on the first people to stand up to Bello and not have injuries. I should get back to him, before he rapes a sign-post." Solace got out of the seat and left to find his raunchy friend.

"Thanks for standing up for me," Lucy said. Mathias nodded. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Mathias answered.

Mathias, Lucy, and Tim finished their meals and lingered a while, to assure that Solace and Bello were gone. They did not have to pay for bills. In the Borderlines, there was no currency, and unlimited food. The three went back up to their suite.

"We should sleep-in," Lucy said, as she opened the door.

"Agreed," Tim said. "And let's hope Bello doesn't show up out of nowhere and butt fuck us."

"Facial recognition," Mathias replied. "He can't get in here, no matter what he does."

"It was a joke!"

"If that was a joke, then black comedy is my least favorite genre."

"Racist," Tim jested.

As Lucy went to the bathroom to change, Mathias slipped into the covers of his bed. The bed was even softer and warmer underneath. He noticed that Tim had already fell asleep in his bed. Did he even change, Mathias thought. Did I even change? Mathias had forgotten to bring an extra set of clothes when he made the trip. It's only a couple light years away. When Lucy had gotten out of the bathroom, all she wore was a tank top and panties. Holy shit, Mathias thought.

Lucy took the other half of the bed. "Night Mathias."

"Good night," Mathias replied. His heart began racing and he felt a stiffness between his legs. I feel like Bello Deviante right now! It's not a good time to have a boner!

"You smell funny," Lucy muttered.

Maybe it's my testosterone!

Mathias must have fallen asleep much quicker than he realized. Lucy was tapping his shoulder. "Wake up."

"I'm up." Mathias heard knocking on the door. He saw that Tim was up. He opened the door and the lord commander stood out there.

"I hope you slept well Tim," Mario said. "And you too Lucy."

"Anything I can do sir," Mathias asked, still drowsy from morning fatigue.

"Stay here. I'll send for you once everything is ready. Lucy and Tim, with me."

Then Mathias realized what was happening, and he jumped out of bed. Lucy, no. Please, don't go. You'll die out there. When I said you would be okay, I was wrong. Please!

Tim and Lucy followed the lord commander out of the door, then Mathias did too. He saw them walking down the hall. Mathias wanted to run to Lucy, he wanted to tell her everything would be okay, he wanted to tell her how he felt about her, but he was frozen there. He felt something warm and wet flow down his cheeks. Tears!

They reached the elevators, then the doors had shut, and Mathias screamed, "I love you!"