A/N: Had a bout of imagination and wanted to try something out. For all intents and purpose English isn't my first language.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the media/references portrayed and used in this fan fiction

Prologue: The Gods Must Be Crazy

Death is inevitable.

It was always heart-breaking to see someone lose their very life. Even more so for a person who is responsible for someone else' well-being but then, time could only be stretched out so much when the end had already been inching in closer and there was nothing that could be done for the afflicted person.

Mortality and sentiments. Hand in hand but still detached like oil to water.

As the plug was taken out after seeing the vitals flat-line moments ago in the machines all around the bed and giving no response to any stimuli or drugs, the doctor and nurses shook their head with solemn expressions as they looked at the occupant of the hospital bed, a male that seemed to be in his early adulthood, one last time.

The door to the room opened moments later and people came flooding in to the room in a hurried fashion. The first and only thing their eyes could capture then was the final smile and closed eyes of the figure in front, lying on the hospital bed.

Julian Marco had been pronounced dead as his family members all gathered around his body in the hospital room. Tears, sadness and disbelief coupled with more conflicting emotions ran across each and every person that stood there around the man they loved and was family. The doctor and nurses gave the family the time they needed as they walked off, but not before being thanked by the family members as they knew the circumstances. They knew it was an almost impossible job but they still tried it and for that the family was grateful.

It was a morbid setting inside the room but unbeknownst to everyone and even Julian, his story was only starting to build.

His family may think him dead but death was something mysterious. It was a cycle that never gave you answers and if you do get one, you'd probably never be returning to speak of it. A concept of souls and the spiritual realm. One of the most interesting topics to ponder upon. By people all around the world.

So what happened next was simply astounding, even for Julian himself, because it wasn't every day that as a person died, for some fictional, fantastical reason, the aforementioned person's "soul" could still be able to see and feel things in colour and clarity. Matter of fact, Julian was stumped as to how he could be normally functioning still. Confused, even. Last thing he remembered was the sound of his heartbeat, in his head, going blank and his eyesight darken like a drape over his vision. His final moments had his body giving out and his senses going blind. Go numb.

'Cancer is one dirty ass mofo'

His current thoughts rang as he slowly came to the realisation that he might have finally given himself up to his disease and he embraced his last moments.

Wasn't that big of a deal if he was to speak for himself. Being much of a simple man and not being nonsensical in his religious views, Julian had varied opinions on the concept of the souls, after life and such. He did have an inclination to believe about the concept of spirituality but now, where he was, he had to rethink his thoughts.

If Julian was to remember, he already had a fulfilling life that he was living, even though he wasn't married and just kept on quietly living with his simple job of an inspector at a packaged water factory. He was close to celebrating his 28th birthday just next month. He had a small house of his own down the south corner of the town he lived in and he was also loved by the people he associated with.

His family members were all pretty decent and always supportive, so he never had any reason to feel any kind of regrets for his life. Although, truthfully speaking, he did have one regret that he could never tell anyone.

Renzio.

He truly did miss him when he was bedridden and given the news that he would die soon. A young male that he had bonded with since high school. Both of them having a great amount of respect for each other with an unbreakable bond between them. They were friends even though Julian was three years older but the age gap never showed in their interactions. Renzio was the little brother Julian had always dreamed of having, coming from a family with two older sisters.

"Sigh", a surprising breath of his vocals emerged, surprising him. He looked left and right in this reflective, unending space he was in to check if the voice truly came from his person. Confirming it, he continued in a hushed tone,

"I wish I could see you one last time Renzy. I so wish I could've…"

"Whoaaaaa, big bro?! Brother Ian?! That you?! Man all this stuff's so white and bright bro"

As if the world seemingly listened, there, a voice was heard.

"Brother Ian?"

Wait, this couldn't be possible. Was he hearing things? Is this what they called post-death clarity, as in the post-nut but for the dead? Is this what they called 'The Last Request'? What in the world did he hear?

"Man, I'm floating as well. What is this place big bro?"

Again, what the fuck! And mind you, Julian really didn't curse much at all, this was just one after another slaps of hope to his face like the competitions held during some fairs or exhibitions. Only this time, it was invisible, it mentally and emotionally hurt and most of all, it was just unseen so he couldn't even defend against this slaps of hope and mockery. Julian, with utmost disbelieve, turned his head towards his backside coupled with his whole body turning around as well, his eyes widened.

"Yo", came the greeting with a grin attached to the person's face.

What the actual fuck!

"Is that really you? Really? Renzio?" unsure if this was a freaking illusion or just his post-death dreams, Julian asked the figure he saw floating in front of him.

Black hair with a rounded face and freckles in his cheeks. It seemed like they were both naked if he had to go with the dense white cloak of light that seemed to cover both of their forms. Thank heavens for that. He didn't want any "mistaken views" in his mind but besides that, Julian knew now.

He seemed to really be Renzio. Renzio Dehanaa, his special friend. His brother from another mother.

A family in all but blood.

Julian had really given his hopes up on meeting him as he was out of the country completely last he remembered. The one person he truly appreciated in his life. When everyone just didn't want to associate with his nerdy self, back in school. He was now looking at the person that came forward, that befriended him, that understood him.

Now, as his death took him and placed him here in this, god knew, whatever this place was (?) he was getting overwhelmed at seeing that one regretful last wish on his mind he thought was impossible.

And it had still come true?!

Whoever was playing tricks on him, even in death, knew how to push his buttons it seemed. Apprehensive but still clinging on to a tight and tiny hope inside him that he wasn't being fed illusions or hallucinations, Julian willed himself to reach the person closer. Still in denial he heard him speak.

"Didn't think I'd be meeting you around here like this big bro", cue a chuckle as the identified Renzio seemed to float towards Julian as did he. They both reached each other whilst keeping a distance and Renzio continued,

"How are you lately and what is this place? Last I remembered of myself I just got hit with something in my head really fast and blacked out instantly. You know this place?"

Julian watched him and replied, "I don't know about this place myself. How I got here even, I don't know. I don't even know if you're real or what this place is. I just remember dying Renz. Dying and opening my…."

"Woah woah woah woah woah, hold up! What do you mean dying?!! You died?!!"

Renzio was shocked and his eyes went wide as he heard Julian, his brother in all but blood, say that. It was a big, no, it was the most shocking news for him.

"Yes, I died Renz. I would say today but I don't even know this place and how or when I came here" Julian replied.

"Wait, hold on. Take me back to the "I died" part cuz, how?! How did this happen?! Yo-y-you were fine when I last left for my studies. We also talked a few weeks ago and you said your treat--ment…."

"Cancer, Renz"

"Mother of…. Man, this is such bullshit. You got taken out by the big boys huh"

"Guess so, haha" Julian gave a small exasperated laugh.

Renzio wasn't just in disbelief. Inside, unbeknownst to Julian, Renzio felt extremely bad that he wasn't there during his best friend/brother's final moments. He wasn't there to support him. His face contorted into a gloom for short period, disappearing before Julian could pick on it.

"I'm sorry big bro"

Julian raised an eyebrow as Renzio continued, "I should've come back when I first heard you were hospitalized"

"It's alright, Re…"

"Why did you lie to me though? When we last talked on the phone, why did you lie to me and tell me it was just a small stroke?"

"Renz.."

"I would've come back. I'm sure I would've come back. You didn't seem to want that"

"Re…"

"After all these years. It seems you still have that habit of keeping some things close to you huh"

Julian took a sharp breath in and closed his eyes in shame.

"I am sorry as well Renz. For lying to you about my affliction. I just, I don't know, I just, I didn't want you…"

"To feel sorry? Pity? Worry? Well, tough luck big bro, we're family at the very least. You could've still told me you know"

Julian stayed silent. Renzio spoke again, "Look whatever's happened, happened. Now we need to actually check where the hell are we? C'mon big bro. Wanna pick off riddles and secrets just like old times?"

Julian looked at Renzio and he slowly nodded at the suggestion as a small smile grew on his face. It was always like this with Renzio.

He still remembered their interactions and he still remembered how Renzio was always optimistic. He was such an excitable person when they first met and he seemed to have a perpetual open mindedness to almost anything and anyone.

Julian on the other hand, he knew himself to be mild and very closed in on himself. They were a dichotomy that still balanced each other out and that is why Julian always wondered about Renzio being his real brother.

"Soooooo, what you think big bro? You think we got kidnapped? Spirited away? Think we'd be meeting Totoro?"

Cue a surprise snort and Julian spoke, "Seriously Renz? Anime references?"

"Hey, can't deny I love watching animes. Not going to lie, all this white background stuff around makes me feel like we're in the matrix, you remember the architect scene? Hehe, Keanu based still. Love that guy man"

"Renz, really?"

"Wait hold on, hold on. I remember you saying you woke up here after you "died" right? Sooooooo, am I alsooooooooo…"

Now that was a question Julian wanted an answer to as well. It was all getting so confusing now. He had opened his eyes to this place after he was absolutely sure that he was dead. His mind subconsciously proved it as well. So if he was here after he died, did Renzio die as well? But how? Julian didn't want to know that. He didn't want to, or better yet, he didn't want to believe Renzio died. He couldn't die. He needed to be alive still. Live his coming years doing what he loved.

He watched the Renzio before him and again, his mind started to focus on the fact that this could all still just be a dream. It couldn't be more than that. Still a dream. A nightmare. A hallucination.

Before Julian could further speak there came a booming voice that echoed all around the two and caught their focus.

"Julian Marco. Renzio Dehanaa"

Both Julian and Renzio looked around the white expanse they were floating in as the voice uttered their names.

"You have been chosen. Rejoice. This shall be a new beginning for both of thee"

Wait what? New beginning? Rejoice? The hell was going on now?

"Now…."

The voice seemed to echo and come even closer to the people in the expanse of the white space but,

"Woaaaaahhhhh, this voice shit is so cool! This is like the isekai stuff I read about although that trope is getting washed in a lot of ways not going to lie though" there came the interruption as the voice was about to tell something. Renzio, who seemingly had stars in his eyes, looked on with varying expressions of uncontained curiosity and Julian had no idea how that was happening. He did feel Renzio's excitement upon this. The boy was a pop nerd of sorts anyway.

The voice on the other hand tried to continue, "As I was say….."

"Yo, are you in my head or all around me? Are you chibi? Are you like the big bad one above all? Are you the hand? The presence? Wait, dude, was the thing that hit me a truck?! Where is truck-kun at man! This is so cool"

Renzio interrupted again and Julian couldn't help the snort that came from his mouth. His mind imagining the voice to be making a face as if it just ate some sour lemon.

Now Julian didn't know about others but he truly missed this Renzio that was spouting nonsensical questions at the voice right now. It was so endearing.

"As I was saying before being excitedly interRUPTED!!"

There was an inaudible "Sorry" from Renzio as the voice exasperatingly continued, "You two have been chosen. Amongst the countless souls of countless cosmos, worlds, universes that we watch over. That we observe"

Countless universes, wait what?! This was going places he didn't want to know.

Was this really happening?! Where the heck was this plot going? Julian was sceptical. Crunching his face, his eyebrows creased a bit, Julian didn't know what to respond to that. Renzio on the other hand was all focused on it as the voice mentioned universes. The voice continued,

"You two have a bond that transcended life and death. A thread of companionship that stretched beyond any cosmic calamity. You two, we have seen much and we have deliberated much. Now, you two shall be given a chance to be an example. One more toll for the game of companionship. Of destiny. Of fate. Of love.

But you shall face peril as well. The likes of which has only ever been faced by the chosen. The champions. An ultimate test for this life you shall be granted. A purpose you shall dedicate and try to proof your mettle. To yourself and to us as well"

Julian didn't know where to start. He could only wait with bated breath and watch to the front as the white expanse shimmered. The expanse started changing as the space around Julian and Renzio slowly shifted. A kaleidoscopic maze of blue hues and shades emerged as they became littered with the cosmic bodies that the humans looked to at the night sky.

Stars and galaxies shone in the floating expanse as if they were both right in the middle of the vast endless cosmos they saw and dreamt from Earth.

"WOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!" was Renzio's response but Julian was still in doubts, as if this was a trippy high gone wrong for him somehow. It was mesmerizing to look around as much as overwhelming with everything that had been happening in the past minutes or so he thought. He just wanted to rest. At that moment he saw something in a particular spot of the expanse as it started morphing. Even catching the attention of Renzio.

"Woy, what is that now?" he asked whilst reaching closer to Julian and Julian now truly knew, Renzio was truly here. The observations he did and the mannerism that the person had, it was Renzio. Both of them kept their focus on the morphing space as it finally gave form to a hand. Complete with fingers, palms and the wrist. Before the both of them could open their mouths in order to sate their curiosity, the voice spoke again,

"A boon you shall be given. To live your life in this new world you shall be given a vessel of proper adjustments. A power taken from the ones you read and see. A quirk for the masses"

Julian didn't know why but it seemed like the voice was having fun in their own expanse with that last sentence. A quirk? Really? This all seemed so unreal. So unbelievably lucrative in a way because it seemed like they were being given a new life.

A new life for both him and Renzio but he didn't know how he would like that even. Or what would be the cost for it. "A quirk?" came an excited hush from Renzio as Julian saw his face get more and more awed with every line he was hearing currently. He seemed to know exactly where the conversation was seemingly going.

"The souls are ready and you two shall be as well. Two for the light and one for the dark. Lionfishes swimming through the raging territories of a Shark. It shall be wondrous. It shall be fun. It shall be your blessings. We have seen your desires. Your hearts. Your dreams. Your purpose. Your love. Your strengths. So shall you be given your quirks as we let you wake up in this world of our making. Go ahead my chosen"

With that said, the hand that they watched from before slowly lingered over them as Julian looked at Renzio who turned towards him and said, "If we're going where I think we're going and if this is all real, I swear to god it's gonna be so exciting brother Ian"

Exciting? Sure. Renzio just couldn't see any negatives to anything did he? Julian had shaken his head in disbelief as in the next moment he could feel the hand, shadowing over the two, drape over them. Like the softest of clouds caressing and hiding the sun. Blotting it out of the sky. He could feel a different sensation all over his body as the hand somehow closed around the both of them and the following darkness came back all over again.

A transformation? Were they being cocooned inside something?

A metamorphosis?

Julian remembered a trope used very often in this type of situation. What was it called, he couldn't remember for some reason. He didn't get to think for long though as the moment he and Renzio found themselves fully grasped in the corporal, ethereal hands, a bright light shone and the space they were both in converged back into the white expanse that was initially there.

"Seems like this new universe will be a fun experiment with those two" Came a throaty voice echoing the expanse.

"Shishsishssishsishsi, gather 'round, gather 'round. Ye of little faith. Glorious this seems to be building to" Came another voice. This one more sassy and wicked-like.

The two voices then laughed as their boisterous echoes of heartiness reverberated the white expanse where a single unconscious figure is seen floating around. A dark grey hue with tints of yellow aura surrounding the boy as he, kept in suspended animation, was simply floating away. The slow healing of his injuries had started to form up a better shape for the boy as he was seemingly covered up by another ethereal hand and taken away.

Who was he? Why was he here? Nobody knew except for the powers that be.

"Just a little longer. You are not meant for now my little alien deviant. Wait a little longer" was the whisper that lingered in the bright space.

Aaaah, the gods sure seem crazy for some reason.

A/N: The God's Must Be Crazy (1980, comedy)