On an island, in a park, surrounded by millions of people. An old man sits peacefully as he lets out a long sigh.

‘I’m so tired these days.’ He thinks. ‘My joints hurt, and my daily walks have become shorter and shorter.’ The man is resting thinking back to his younger days when he was able to run jump and even sit without pain.

“When you're young you don't realize how much you take simple walking for granted.” The man spoke aloud as a jogger moves to avoid the old man. Seeing this the man wonders, ‘If I worked out more, or took better care of myself when I was younger, would it be any different.’ The old man looked around the bustling park locking onto an outdoor yoga class being held. ‘I see other men my age running.’

The old man chuckled to himself imaging trying the different positions. “I think if I tried that my legs would break.”

The man sat knowing he wasn’t young anymore and knew he never would be but he enjoyed sitting on the bench and watching people.

"Hello, mind if I sit. It's been a long day." A man walked up to the old man looking tired and sweaty. If it wasn't for his grease-covered overalls you might expect him to have been working out.

The old man smiled enjoying the company. “Go right ahead, young man."

"Thanks." The man plopped down in the seat sweat soaking through his denim.

Curious, at the man’s state he asked, "What's go you all tired out?"

"Just my job. They got me running ragged. The multi-verse is a complete shit-show right now, and for some reason, they just love people from Earth."

‘Multiverse, as in multiple universes?’ The old man blinked staring at the sweaty man before it dawned on him. "Ah, you’re a writer aren't you?"

The man paused and laughed. "I guess you could say that."

"Well, I always like those stories with adventure." The old man said sagely.

"That's all of them." The man stared up incredulously at the elder, only to find him grinning wide.

"Right you are." The old man began to laugh as he had just told the funniest joke in the world.

The sweaty man looked the old coot up and down before asking. "So what do you do?"

"Oh, I'm just an old man. I go on walks and watch people. Sometimes I take a water aerobics class. It's nice to move, keep the joints limber, and interact with people."

"Scope out the honey's." The man gave a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

The old man laughed. "That too. Though at my age you have to worry about breaking the hips."

The young man grimaced. "I don’t think I wanted to hear that."

The old man just laughed.

"So what did you do?"

"Oh, a little of this and that. I was an accountant, but I always liked to paint. I still do from time to time." He said wistfully.

"Any good?"

"Terrible."

This made the man snort in surprise.

"Didn't expect that did you."

"Not at all." The man kept laughing at the geezer. When his phone buzzed. The man stopped laughing looking annoyed at the phone. "That's work. They always need a hero."

"I could be your hero." The old man gave the young man a flirtatious wink.

"Maybe you could.” The man gave the elder a sly smile, “I’ll see you later."

"Good-Bye." The old man waved goodbye feeling a little disappointed that the conversation ended so soon. 'What a nice young man. I wonder what he actually does, it sounds important or maybe he just likes being the hero.'

It was about an hour later when the old man finally got up from the bench. 'I think I'll grab a slice of pizza.'

The man headed to his favorite pizzeria that had been set up near the park. When he made it to the crosswalk. He pushed the button for the light to change and waited. When the light changed, he looked both ways, seeing no cars he began to cross. He slowly walked across the street, making it halfway before hearing the loud honking wail of a semi growing closer, the man was surprised because he knew for a fact wasn't there before.

'I just wanted some pizza.'

----

A man and a woman sit in the cabin of a semi-truck, driving through a road between worlds.

The woman looks uncertain of what they just did saying, “I’m going, to be honest here. I don’t know if that was kind or cruel.”

The man driving the truck shrugged, “They wanted a reincarnator and the old man was cool.”

The woman rolled her eye, still unsure. “Yes, but we don't know how he'll be treated.”

“We never know that. If he's smart and lucky, he'll grow and have another good life. This time with magic.”

“And if he's dumb, reveals himself, demons get him, or slaver’s?” She asked pointedly.

The man’s shoulders drooped slightly when he spoke. “Look I wanted to give him a chance.” The man then looked at the woman eyes narrowed. “How long are you going t be hitching along anyway?”

“What don't enjoy my company?” she asked mischievously.

“Your a pain in my ass is what you are.” The man said jokingly.

“So is that a no?”

The man rolled his eyes focusing back on the way between worlds. The 2 sat in silence for a time before the girl asked a question. “So are you responsible for all the summoned heroes?”

“Not all of them, but plenty of them.” The man answered not having any reason not to answer.

“Is it always from earth?”

The man driving stopped to think before answering. “The most popular tend to be, but we get a few requests from mana rich worlds and whatnot.”

“Ever get from high tech worlds?” The woman asked excitedly.

“Yeah actually they are big with transmigrators, the Wuxia and Xiania worlds love them.”

“Why?” To the woman, it made no sense that a world of martial arts would prefer to have people from high-tech worlds.

The man's answer was just disappointing. “No idea.”

The cab grew quiet for a time, before the woman asked, "Where to next?"

The man pulled a clipboard out, "Delivery to a god of art."

“What kind of world?”

The man looked the clipboard up and down. "Looks like a magic one."

"Think he'll like it?"

"He did say he liked the stories with adventure."