The morning came, and all the pizza was eaten. Mainly by me. It seemed like my stomach has no end, probably because of the upgrades.

Tihana was sitting on the chair, curled up, and I was resting on my throne.

- Hey... Do you have a place where I could get some sleep? Like that room, you took me to.

- That room was behind the portal, and I'm not taking you there again. We have a deal, don't you remember?

- Ok. I'll just sleep on the street. Who cares? Definitely not you.

- Awww, are we trying to make poor Peter all emotional and stuff? - I mocked her.

- Hmpf - she turned her head away from me, to look at the space somewhere to the side of us.

She tried to make me pity her, but because of the shit I already saw, that was not gonna work.

- Hey, do you trust me?

- No?

- Ok, never mind then. Keep sitting on the chair all angry at me for no reason, and I'll keep ignoring you. That's totally fine by me.

- Fine! I'll trust you, as long as it's not something stupid.

- I can save you, and I really mean save, but we have to do it right, which will involve at least one CIA agent.

- What? - she clearly couldn't understand. - I'm not letting you turn me in. They will send me to some facility, or a stupid foster family. No way.

- Shut up, will you? I didn't finish. I'll make sure you will end up behind the fucking portal, where you will be able to live your life the proper way. A fucking happy ending.

- And how will you make that happen, tell me? Because I don't think you can.

- I tell you a secret. Some CIA agents tried to fuck with me already, and it's four to zero for me. I will pull this off. You are just a kid. Nobody gives a shit about you, so they will sell you to me, legally, if I give them what they want.

- I'm not getting sold to anybody.

- That was just a figure of speech. Kids those days - I snorted and shook my head.

- Your plan is stupid!

- Oh? Is it? Then come up with a better one. Go ahead, I'm listening.

- Why do you even care?

- Yeah, you are right, I don't - I stud up and made all the void furniture disappear.

The pizza boxes fell on the ground, just like Tihana. Although her fall was much more painful.

- Ouch! You asshole!

- I don't care, did you forget? - I said, and turned away from her, then started walking

She didn't say a thing until I was almost at the fence.

- Ok, stop! Come back.

I spun on my heel, and shadow walked all the distance, to end up where I was before.

- If I'll end up in a facility, or a foster family, I'm running away - she warned me, with her index finger out, like a weapon.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever - I replied, and pulled out the phone Wolf gave me.

I quickly found his number and called him.

- Agent Wolf, how can I help you, Peter?

- Yo dog - I started as soon as I heard his voice.

- What?

- Shush! I'm trying to impress fifteen years old, work with me here. Also, it was a joke since your name is Wolf...historical

Tihana burst into lough, which quickly ended since she covered her mouth with her hand.

- Are you drunk?

- No. Bad comedy aside I need to pull off something that might sound like a completely immoral and bad idea, but my intentions are genuine.

- What? I'm not sure I'm following you. Could you please explain?

- I need to adopt a fifteen-year-old homeless girl, for clearly platonic reasons, and smuggle her to Ark. Can you help me with that?

There was no answer. He needed some time to process that.

- Oh, I forgot to add, that asking me for a portal to America as a repayment, is out of the question.

- Peter... I'm not sure I follow. You want to adopt an American kid?

- Yep.

- That's... Ok... I'll ask what can be done, but we will need something in exchange.

- How about crystals? I'll drop your soldiers a nice load, that will push them ahead of the competition.

- I'll see what can be done. Give me an hour - he said and hanged up.

- So? What did he say? - asked Tihana, seeing as I put the phone away.

- He is working on it. It will take him around an hour, so we have some time to kill.

- Ok, so what are we going to do?

- I would eat something...

- You just ate five large pizzas, and you are still hungry?

- It's been ages ago! Let's grab some food.

She sighed.

- Fine, but I'm picking the place.

I rose my hands in a gesture of surrender, and then she led me downstairs. She searched for something in her phone, and then we grabbed a cab to take us to the right place. The driver was suspicious of us and kept looking in the rearview mirror, but in the end, didn't do anything. Especially when I paid him more than our relatively short travel cost.

We ended up in a Mexican place, and there was a bit of commotion when they asked Tihana, but she refused. I had to step in and scare them a bit with my black eyes, which led to us having a table in the corner, and eating some tacos.

She was the one paying. Which, surprisingly, she offered to do by herself. Probably as a means of repaying me for taking care of her. She reminded me of Ki'rai a bit, and also of myself. I could have ended like her if the whole isekai stuff didn't happen to me.

I just couldn't ignore her because of that.

We finished the food without haste and then left.. Just as we were about to look for a cab, Wolf finally called me back.