While the vet was seeing to his patient I was off across the country. Another client had just been identified to me and I had work to do. As I pulled out I made a promise to myself that I'd go back and check in on Portal if and when he woke up, if only to make a new friend.

Travel was weird, conceptually so because I could never really figure out how fast I was going. Sure the miles seemed to fly, but over the ocean seemed like almost nothing, while sometimes driving around a city was painful. I suspected that it had something to do with how many people were around, or how bleedingly open the area was, but I wasn't sure.

It was also clear during the long hauls that people didn't notice me somehow. For whatever weird magic reason nobody could see the big truck rocketing down the highways and byways at what had to approach the speed of sound a few times. Not that I got any air resistance or sonic booms at all, another weird part of my new body that I couldn't quite make sense of. Then again, I was a sentient truck whose best (only) friend was a magical AI, so sense didn't really apply to like anything I did.

My newest target was... at a convention center. I wanted to sigh. I'd been to so many, far too many in my life and now here I was, taking out those who could enjoy the pleasures of life that were temporarily denied to me. All the speakers, the manga-ka, the voice actor panels that I could no longer go to. I could no longer browse the stands for new and exciting wares.

While I'd never been for some of the more artsy pieces I'd had a fair collection of videos and books. I tried to get everything I could, all the translations, even if they were bad, even if the series kinda sucked, I wanted all of them. The bookshelves I'd filled in my once home were now probably being either tossed in the trash or sent off to someone who'd never know the love that I'd once had for such things.

I sighed as I did a once over of the building. There were people everywhere in cosplay. Most of them looked kinda bad sure, but it was the heart. Even if the costume looked terrible you could tell that some of these fans had made them themselves. Struggling against your brand new sewing machine the night before a big event, or asking someone for help was a long time tradition, and I could respect that.

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I saw my target leave the building. He was fairly average for one of my customers. The man in question was in his 20s, wearing a t-shirt and shorts and absolutely gushing over his new purchases. A sword was tucked tied into it's sheath on his back as his arms held a full on body-pillow. I didn't recognize the girl on it, but some kind of gothic lolita by the dress.

This would be my hardest mission yet. The road was packed with con-goers crossing here and there and just behind my target was a friend with his face buried in a book it looked like he'd newly acquired as well. I didn't get any bonuses for taking non-targets and was fairly sure it would just be a murder in that case so care was needed.

I did a once around to build up a bit of speed and let body-pillow boy get out into the street. Turning the corner with screeching tires that made everyone stop and look I sped onwards to my new tire decoration swerving expertly here and there.

The target froze where he stood for just an instant as he saw me coming, but he was still too close to his friend. The big boy had also looked up as I came and stood in shock, but unlike everyone else, he was looking at my driver's seat, which was of course empty.

"Truck-kun?" I saw him mouth as I came, still too close to his friend.

I'd need to break off. I didn't want to kill some random who just happened to be in the wrong spot. Particularly not one of my own people, he'd even recognized me. But just as I started to move my wheels the target did what he needed to do.

He turned without a thought and heroically pushed his friend out of the way. He didn't dive for his own life, didn't try to flee and leave his friend to die. No, the guy saved his friend with a harsh shove, throwing the big guy a good three feet to the curb.

'You're a fucking hero man. I hope you get your gothic lolita.' I thought as I pasted my target on the pavement, a nice long red streak behind me, the body pillow left held in what was left of his arms.

My brief flash of his reincarnation was rather good. The powers that be had decided to lose the pillow but leave him with his sword. As he woke up in a graveyard just below a spooky looking castle town I smiled at him in my mind.

After pulling through a specialty car-wash I turned to head back to the vet's office. Right as the little scrubbers were giving me one of the best massages I'd ever had in either life I got a call from Ex Machina.

"Yo," I answered.

"So, yeah. I've got an interesting one for you."

"What's up?"

"That creature you picked up last night, that wasn't Portal."

"You're kidding!? Who was it then?"

"No idea, but not Portal, one of his avatars managed to get hold of me this morning asking for some details on someone else. Mind going by the vet's can checking it out? He said the little guy popped back up this morning, and while he'd a big banged up he should be fine to leave."

"Sure man, talk to you soon."

My hot wax coating completed I turned off to meet our new friend, whoever he might be.