Chapter Text
"Where exactly am I?" a voice asked, echoing through a strange void.
"Just give it a moment. This sort of confusion happens to people when they die," another voice explained casually.
As the haze lifted, the speaker came into view—a stunning, tan-skinned woman with flowing white hair tipped in red, crimson eyes, and a body wrapped in thin white robes that barely concealed anything. The robes stopped just above her knees, adding an air of ethereal elegance to her provocative appearance.
"Who... are you?" the voice asked hesitantly.
"I am the goddess Alundra, and you are Xavier Lincoln," she said, her voice smooth and authoritative. With a snap of her fingers, a mirror appeared out of thin air. "See for yourself."
Xavier peered into the mirror and saw the reflection of a young African-American man, around 19 or 20 years old, with dreadlocks and multiple piercings in his ears. He wore a checkered shirt, black jeans, and red sneakers.
"Huh... so this is me," he said, examining himself. "But why am I here?"
Alundra hesitated, sweat forming on her brow. "Well... there’s no easy way to put this, but... you died."
Xavier blinked, confused. "Weird. All I remember is... wait, I was on a trip to Japan and then—"
Flashback....
Xavier had been walking along a highway, enjoying the sights, when he noticed a young boy repeatedly banging his head against a tree. Concerned, he approached cautiously.
"Hey, kid, you okay?" he asked.
"Magic, magic, magic, magic, magic," the boy chanted, headbutting the tree with disturbing enthusiasm. Before Xavier could stop him, the boy darted into the road.
"Wait, hold on! You can’t just—"
Xavier ran after him, only to see a truck speeding toward them both.
Back to the present....
"That damn kid got us both killed?!" Xavier shouted, his voice echoing in disbelief.
"Yeah... about that," Alundra muttered, bracing herself. "You weren’t supposed to die for another eighty years."
"Excuse me, what?" Xavier asked, his voice suddenly calm—too calm. The unnatural serenity unnerved Alundra.
"Well... you see, your guardian angel had to step away, so I was filling in. But, um, I got... distracted," she admitted sheepishly. "Another goddess told me something funny, and I went to check it out. When I got back, you were... well, dead. I’m very sorry."
Xavier crossed his arms. "Oh, that’s what happened? It’s all fine," he said, his calm demeanor startling her further.
"You’re taking this way too well," Alundra said, frowning. "Maybe you should’ve been a therapist instead of... hang on, let me check my notes... oh, the guy who ended world hunger. Shit."
"Wow," Xavier deadpanned.
"Okay, look," Alundra said, panic creeping into her voice. "What can I do to make this right? A prime spot in heaven? Your own angel servant? Blank check—as you humans say."
Xavier's expression shifted, a sly grin forming. "In that case... I want to be a god."
Alundra blinked, stunned. "Excuse me, what?"
"You heard me. Make me a god,flamebrain" he repeated firmly.
"I feel like there’s been a... tone shift here," Alundra muttered.
"How else do you expect someone who was supposed to live another eighty years to react?!" Xavier snapped.
"Hey! I already got yelled at today by my sister Valkyrie, so cut me some slack!" Alundra shot back. "Also, you’re supposed to respect gods and goddesses!"
"Kind of hard to respect someone who doomed humanity," Xavier retorted.
Alundra huffed. "I can’t make you a god. At best, I can give you powers and reincarnate you in another world."
Xavier smirked. "You will give me what I want. Otherwise, I’ll make sure everyone knows how much of a screw-up you are. Imagine being the laughingstock of heaven and hell. What would your boss think?"
Alundra paled. "I could destroy you in an instant," she threatened.
"I’m already dead," Xavier countered. "And if you destroy me, it’ll only prove my point. You’re terrified of someone finding out—maybe your boss?"
Her silence was all the confirmation he needed.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "I can’t make you a god, but I’ll grant you powers and reincarnate you in another world."
Xavier tilted his head. "Go on."
"I’ll also give you a chance to confront that kid who got you killed. His name is Minoru Kageno. I can send you to the same world he’s in. If you decide to... settle the score, I can have the angels look the other way."
"I don’t want to kill him," Xavier replied. "Just talk to him—and maybe hit him. Really hard."
"Fine," Alundra said. "Anything else?"
Xavier's grin widened. "I want the combined powers of all the Ghost Riders—plus magic. And now that I think about it... your built like Mirajane from Fairy Tail with the face and hair of Akari Watanabe. Maybe you could—"
Alundra cut him off, her face bright red. "I’ll grant the powers, but as for that—no way!"
Xavier leaned in, his smirk devilish. "Imagine being embarrassed for all eternity, fired by your boss, and dragging your sister Valkyrie down with you."
Alundra groaned. "Fine! When I’m not busy, I’ll... visit occasionally. Happy?"
"Is the goddess blushing? Have you never had a boyfriend or maybe a virgin?" Xavier teased.
"And what if I am?!" she shouted, immediately covering her mouth.
"Not a problem," Xavier said with a laugh. "You’ll make a fine wife."
"Wife?!" Alundra sputtered.
"Of course. I’m not just going to mess around randomly. But if you don’t want to—"
"Okay! I’ll marry you!" she blurted, her face crimson.
Xavier grinned. "Engaged to a goddess. If my friends could see me now."
Alundra summoned a glowing door with a wave of her hand. "Just go! Through this door, you’ll be reincarnated. I’ll make sure you meet Minoru early on. You’ll know him when you see him."
Xavier winked. "Thanks, beautiful. See you soon." He stepped through the door, which disappeared behind him.
Moments later, a lavender-haired angel appeared beside Alundra. "So, how’d it go?"
"I just promised myself to a mortal," Alundra muttered, tearing up.
The angel rolled her eyes. "Between you, Aqua, and Ristarte, I swear..."
End of chapter.