Somewhere in a park, in Midwest America, a man and a woman sit on a bench in a park. The two of them are eating ice cream as they speak.

“I don't get it.” The woman says in between bites.

“What don't you get?”

The woman gestured to nothing answering, “The 2 we just dropped off.”

“What about them?” The man asked raising an eyebrow.

The woman scratched her head trying to think of the right words. “Well, why didn't you just let them return home?”

The man sighed, “I can't”

“But why?”

“Sometimes I forget you wouldn't know.” The man looked to the woman shaking his head, “Simply put they died.

The woman eyed the area their truck was parked, “But they were still alive in the back?”

“Ah, they were not. It’s a little hard to explain...see when someone enters a portal like that their corporeal bodies are completely destroyed.”

‘Then what were the bodies in the back? Are you saying they were ghosts?”

“Oh no those were physical bodies.”

The girl just looks on confused. “But you just said.”

“Ok, this is where it gets weird” The man took a minute, to eat his ice cream, and get his thoughts in order.

“I'm listening.” The woman says impatiently.

“So…when one falls out of their world, or leaves it, in a world like earth, they are subject to the rules of its world. By falling out the go beyond the rules, their bodies are momentarily destroyed going beyond, then reconstituted exactly as before.”

“But then they would be the same person.” Then pointedly she added, “And still alive.”

The man scratched his head, “Yes, but by passing through the between they aren't allowed back in.”

“Wait…” Things began to connect in the woman's mind, “Is that how you bring people away?”

“Pretty much.” The man shrugged.

The gears continued to turn as the woman asked, “Doesn't that mean those people can never come back?”

“Usually.”

“What does that mean?”

“The multiverse is massive even I don't know what's possible, but some have made their way back just a few and far between.”

There was a sad silence in the air neither one taking bites of their frozen confection.

“It's sad.” The woman commented breaking the silence.

The man agreed, “It is.”

“Why do you do it?”

“It's my job.” The man said sadly/

The woman glared, “Don't give me that.”

“I have my reasons.” The man said pointedly staring at his melting ice cream.

——

On a bench far far away, on a green green planet, two teens sit on a bench, a boy and a girl. Surrounding them was a city, but not like any city they’ve ever seen. The place was populated by beast-men, people with animalistic features that range from almost human to almost animal. The two sat as the people passed them by barely even giving the two notice. Both their heads had been on a swivel taking in every little thing since they arrived.

“Hey.” The boy said getting the girl's attention.

The girl's head finally stopped jumping from place to place as she turned to the boy, “Yeah?”

The boy was nervous and scared, “Do you have any idea how we could possibly save this place?”

“Nope.” The girl smiled, she was strangely excited to be on an adventure.

“Will, will we become slaves?” This was what the boy was really afraid of, ever since they learned the fate of all the other summoned heroes.

“Hey. Hey. I will never let that happen.” The girl comforted the boy

“Then what do we do?”

“This is like those Isekai anime and books.” She said thoughtfully, “I bet we have awesome powers or something.”

“And how would we find that out?” The boy's fatal pessimism dimming at the girl's pronouncement

The girl thought aloud, “Well first a god summoned us. I bet we got something there, and with our modern-day knowledge we will be able to use it to advance swiftly!”

“I don't know.” The boy said hesitantly. “It's exciting, but how do we get home?”

The girl paused, “I don't think we can.”

“What do you mean?” A hint of panic in the boy's voice.

“I've read and watched tons of stories, and the protagonist rarely goes home.” The girl said, embarrassed about how many animes and the light novels she’s read. Many of them steamy.

“What about the ones who do?”

The girl had to think back to the many stories to the few she remembered actually going home, “They complete whatever divine task was given to them.”

“So we might get home if we free the others?” The boy asked hopefully.

“Maybe we won't know if we don't try.”

A boy and a girl both scared and excited stand, and head to a building. It was a simple building with a plain wooden sign. With two words carved upon it. "Adventurers guild"

——

On a small blue marble, somewhere in the United States, in the middle of the afternoon, a man walks through a park with his little sister. This was ab exciting day for them both. The man has begun to reconnect with his family after years of separation, the girl was just as excited to see her brother finally reaching back out. The two had recently left dinner and were on their way to meet an old friend of theirs in the park.

Little do they know what is waiting for them. Today was a beautiful day, bright and shining, and not too hot. There were plenty of people in the park having picnics, playing, or just having a nice walk.

Two people walk through a park to meet an old friend, and another person walks along the same trail. The two see this person and begin to do the normal greeting; a smile and nod as they pass by. Except the other man does not return the greeting instead pulling a knife to rob them.

The brother and sister try to keep calm as the mugger becomes more agitated. They try to explain they have no money having left it with their parents at the diner. The man becomes enraged lunging towards the man. The sister jumps forward to save her little brother. She had just gotten him back how could she lose him again.

A knife finds its way into her chest she looks over to see her brother tackling the man to the ground, getting the mugger off her.

The mugger is knocked unconscious as the man screams for help and a crowd forms around them. The crowd stands and watches unsure of what to do. Some are on the phone with 911 others are frozen as the man holds pressure on the wound yelling for someone to help.

The sister speaks her voice watery, “You know it doesn't hurt that much.”

“You're going into shock.” The brother said.

“I would say more stabbing than shocking.” The sister tried to joke.

“If you can make jokes you'll be fine.” The brother tried to comfort her.

“I don't know. I'm starting to feel cold.” The girl's smile faded as tears began to form in her eyes.

The boy turned towards the gathered crowd begging, “Does anyone here have medical training? Please!”

A woman steps out from the gathered crowd, looking unsure but determined. "I do."

After the woman steps forward she immediately takes over for the brother, carefully binding the wound, and stabilizing the girl.

The sister begins to feel warm again, but can no longer stay awake as the ambulance pulls up and EMTs take over. The police not far behind cuff the mugger and take him away.

They take the sister and brother to the hospital. The brother never leaving the sister's side. It isn't long before their parents appear along with the police.

They take his statement and the family waits for the girl to wake up.

Late in the middle of the night in a hospital bed, a girl opens her eyes. "Ow. You should really easy back on the pressure."

A man smiles as he looks at his sister letting up on the grip he had on her hand.

——

In a park two people stood watching an ambulance drive away, one a woman covered in blood, the other a man covered in ice cream.

“Why'd you do it?” The man asked curiously.

The woman scrunched up her face, as an image of two teens came to mind, “It didn't feel right.

“Oh? And what does feel right?” The man asked playfully.

“I…” The woman tried to think of a good answer. Something that would be obvious but coming up with nothing spoke honestly, “I don’t know.”

The man smiled, “Good answer.”

“How is that a good answer?”

“You were able to admit you didn't know. Sometimes we don't know why we do things. And just act. Just like when that girl jumped to save her brother.” The man pointed out.

“But I should be above that.” She exclaimed

“Why”

“I'm a... I’m a…” The woman knew she was something it was on the tip of her tongue but couldn’t quite say it.

But the man knew interrupting her thoughts, “So.”

“...” The woman was stunned

The man looked wistfully towards the fading sirens, “She would have been an amazing hero.

“She already is.” The woman said definitively.

The man smiled. “Let's go we still need a hero.”