Donnie had no grand dreams. While others meticulously planned their ideal lives, Donnie simply wanted to be a truck driver and eventually own his own truck. After graduating from university, he joined a transportation company. After two years on the road, he finally saved up some money and borrowed a bit more to buy a small truck. He named it Optimus Prime.
His colleagues laughed at him.
"Donnie's gone nuts, calling his new truck Optimus Prime!"
"A minivan named Optimus Prime!"
They laughed and talked, making comments on Donnie's actions.
Donnie, however, was undeterred. He explained to his colleagues that while this was his first truck, it would drive for a long time. Any future truck he bought would also be named Optimus Prime. It was a sentiment that only he understood.
His colleagues disagreed and often asked him about his feelings, suspecting a childhood obsession with Transformers. Donnie never answered directly. When pressed, he would nod and shake his head. Eventually, he stopped trying to explain. He knew his colleagues were just having fun, not being malicious. He would listen with a smile, and soon they moved on to other topics.
One day, Donnie was carefully wiping his truck as usual. Men often refer to their cars as their "little wives," and Donnie was no exception. He took his truck seriously, maintaining and cleaning it every day. He believed that a good driver should treat their truck as a comrade, not just a tool.
After wiping down the truck, he loaded it with fresh fruits and set off on the road. Given the urgency of the delivery, Donnie drove faster than usual. When he noticed something was wrong, it was too late. A fast-moving Lamborghini slammed into Donnie's truck.
Donnie's last sight was the flushed face and drunk eyes of the other driver.
He thought, "A drunk kid in a luxury car... I'm ruined." As consciousness faded, he regretted the damage to his truck. It would be hard to repair completely, with many parts needing replacement.
Everything blurred. His ears hummed, drowning out the screams and roars of passersby.
The evening news reported, "At 3:07 this afternoon, a car accident on Sunshine Avenue resulted in one death. The perpetrator has been detained by the police. Please pay attention to traffic safety."
Donnie's head hurt. He faintly heard screams, crying, and the sound of guns. The army was dispatched, creating a noisy scene. Donnie felt as if someone punched him, shouting in his ear. He reluctantly opened his eyes, using all his strength.
"Wake up! You'll die if you keep lying here. Stand up if you don't want to die!" a stranger yelled at him.
Donnie blinked, looking around at the familiar yet strange environment. "I'm not dead...?" he murmured.
"If you don't run, you will be! Those two monsters won't spare you!" the man yelled, shaking his head.
"Run!" someone shouted, only to be struck by a huge rock, their body shattering.
Donnie's face paled. It was unimaginable for an urbanite used to peace. The monster-like roar and the chaos indicated he was in a dangerous zone. People ran in panic, debris littered the ground, and vehicles were smashed.
The man picked up Donnie and carried him away. "What's going on?" Donnie asked.
"Two monsters are fighting," the man said. "I don't know where they came from, but many people have died."
Donnie realized the man was speaking English. He understood, even though he wasn't fluent. Looking around, he had an absurd thought: "Am I in another world?"
A loud noise interrupted his thoughts. A behemoth fell in front of them, raising dust and gravel. Donnie's eyes widened as he heard the monster shout, "Hulk!"
"Hulk! Huge monster! Strange place!" Donnie's eyes reddened with shock and fear. Although not a fan of movies, he knew the Marvel character. The Hulk's rampages were legendary.
"SHIT!" the man next to him trembled with fear.
"Run," Donnie urged. "Find a place to hide." He feared being abandoned in his injured state, making escape impossible.
The man gritted his teeth and, despite his fear, carried Donnie to safety. Donnie felt relieved and grateful for the man's determination to save him.
The city was in ruins. High-rise buildings were dilapidated, vehicles wrecked, and people prayed for survival. The army and helicopters kept their distance. The surviving street lights flickered, providing a faint comfort as Donnie and his rescuer moved through the chaos.
Hulk roared, trying to clear his head, giving Donnie time to escape. But time was running out. Donnie was too injured, and the man was exhausted.
Another large figure, darker in color, appeared and confronted Hulk, shouting, "Hulk! I'm stronger than you now!"
Donnie felt a bone-chilling fear. Another monster—Abomination.
The man beside him, surprisingly calm, said, "These monsters ruined everything. They'll go to hell."
Donnie, sweating profusely, spotted a small truck he recognized. "Over there! Let's hide behind that truck. Maybe they won't notice us!"