Just The Sidekick

1.5. Approval or Long-Awaited Firsts

That bloody phone.

Max sat before his own private device in his flat. The object, unaware of the stare contest with the hero, lay motionless on the polished oaken surface.
The banker has been waiting at least two hours for the inspiration to lift the phone and dial a certain number, though somehow it ceased to arrive.

After all, it has been a long day. The business with the burning house was still vivid in Max's mind, not to mention the suffering monotony he had experienced at work. The bank's shares were in freefall, though it was not as drastic as the senior bank manager, Mr. William Ersley declared. After Max received a good-old preaching about the bank's fragile inner balance, the hero had no energy left to endure a trip to New Atlantis, and that slight nudge to do so weakened even more, when he fell home only at seven.

So, phone it was.

Max took a deep breath, he braced himself, reached for the receiver and raised it to his ear.

A faint click sprung up.

The NSA, as usual, joined in. The agency had all supers' phones bugged - with the unquestionable reason that 'it was precaution'.

Max untangled the cable of the phone, and began dialling the number. The receiver started to ring into his ear, as the signal searched for the other phone.

Bastards, Max thought, while he waited.

No matter what the time was, no matter how well-behaved you were, they were always listening, always watching.

Precaution. Ha!

Precaution was needed for people like Gamma Jack, or one of the other A-level-monitored, puffed-up supers. It was precaution, if one was preaching about 'supers are superior' megalomanic ideas. It was precaution, if one had an unstable personality.

But with him?

He was just a guy, who flew around, and smoked a pipe. He had no ambition to become a villain, especially after he and the Phantasmics have battered so many of them.

The Phantasmics... Who knows how will Everseer reac-

The monotonous ringing tone abruptly switched to a sharp pitch, making the hero exclaim. He tore the phone away from his ear, muttered a curse under his nose.

Whoever the HELL thought, that an ear-splitting pitch should sign the unavailability of the called person?! Trigger warning was nothing for this, honestly!

Max let out a sigh, he loosened his blue-black tie. His heart was still thumping in his chest.

Well, it would have been good to get it over with before the news break tomorrow, ran through his head, as he placed back the guilty object.

Max wanted to be the first Frank would hear it from. He owed this to him. But seems like it, this time it won't be the case.

The super looked on the clock on the wall opposite him. Ten thirty-two.

Everseer can't be sleeping yet. Or can he?

Nevertheless, Max felt that HE will be sleeping soon. He suppressed a lengthy yawn, got up from his armchair and headed towards the bathroom.

"Well, I DID call." the super mumbled, stopped in the bathroom door, looked back at the phone.

If he can't pick up, then he can't pick up. My conscience is clear, it can shut up and let me sleep.

Max made another sigh, shook his head.

Honestly, he was thirty-two. He should decide whether he could get into the business or not.