The next morning, I half hoped not to find the money in my account. While I'd have to write a check and hand deposit it manually, supers have access to technology we tippys don't. They could just make a phone call or use one of their computing machines and the money would be there. Turns out, I didn't even have to check. I woke up slowly, the realization dawning on me that something was amiss. I nearly jumped out of my skin as I found Khan sitting on the corner of my bed.
"Do you want to share?" he tried to sound serious but he wasn't good at hiding his smile.
"What?" I rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?"
"Don't give me that!" he mocked anger. "I got a call from your man," he used air quotes. He didn't like that I didn't trust him with my banking arrangements. "He confirmed a deposit. That number can't be right, can it?"
"Ah, so he paid," I sat up. "I guess I better get to work."
"How long you planning on being on the job?" Khan inquired.
"What do you mean?" I stood and took off my shirt as I walked toward the bathroom.
"Well, that was nearly as much as you made with the last three jobs combined," Khan started straightening my bedroom, throwing clothes over the chair or in the hamper depending on how they looked. "Should I plan on you being out for the week? Two?"
I spit the toothpaste from my mouth, "That's just for today."
"You're kidding."
"Nope."
"Man, you really raked that guy over the coals."
I scowled thinking about how little the money meant to the doctor.
Khan paused for a second. "You know..." Another pause. "My parents... they, um, want me to see him."
"Medico?" I was taken aback. "Why?"
"You know, the sleeping thing."
I picked a fresh shirt from the closet, grabbed my slacks and put them on.
"They got me a new suit you know."
"Three piece?"
"Funny. No, it's frictionless or something. Means I can run at full speed without creating sonic booms and stuff." He was looking at the ground. "You know how they are."
I didn't, really, except what he told me. They had been trying for years to overcome his handicap, as they called it. They'd tried stimulants, practice, hypnosis - everything. Anything so that he could run for longer than thirty seconds or at least so that he wouldn't fall into a deep sleep after he stopped. Nothing had worked. At nineteen, he couldn't take it anymore and moved out. My ex was friends with them and we took him in. When Gale and I split, he stayed with me. He didn't really need the money I paid him and, in some way, looking in on supers seemed to make him feel connected to the super community while getting some small measure of revenge.
"Frictionless," I spat, "you know that's bull, right?"
He looked back, confused.
"If it were really frictionless you wouldn't be able to run at all, no grip." I looked away, "I wish they'd just tell us what it was instead of giving stuff these made-up names that sound cool."
"I've been putting it off," he sounded uncomfortable. "I know how you feel about the guy."
"Hey," I slipped on my last shoe and looked right at him, "you do what you have to do. I don't care one way or the other."
He looked relieved.
I paused and thought a moment, "You know what, why don't you call him?"
"What? Now?" Khan asked in bewilderment.
"Yeah. This is the deal: he thinks supers are disappearing after he sees them. Wants me to follow him and them and see what's what."
"Wait! Is it safe?"
"Come on, you're kidding right?" I smirked. "He's already called The Bulwark, the police, just about everyone and no one thinks there's anything to it."
"But if he's paying you all this money..."
"You think he gives a shit about money?" I frowned. "You know how those guys live. Especially the geniuses. If he slowed down enough to pass on just one or two of his inventions rather than hoarding all of them for himself, he'd have more money than he'd ever need." I grabbed my jacket and threw it over my shoulder. "Heck, a Level 5 citizen like him doesn't really want for money anyhow. The thing about the rich, they can afford to be paranoid." I exited my bedroom, heading toward the kitchen for a cup of the coffee I could smell. "But I understand if you don't want to. I was just trying to be supportive."