Sliced Bread 2: The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread

The next day I was sitting at my desk, working my way through the piles of work and whistling a tune, when Greyghost walked in. "You warned me," I said before he could say anything.

"What happened?" he asked.

"His lead on the Holy Grail of Superheroes turned out to be a bust. But there are interesting developments with the Professionals and the Defense Posse. I'll fill you in later. Then Thunderhead decided that he could solve all the world's problems by making nice with his family, or something, and had me drive him to Blackheim." I did my best to spear Greyghost with a pointed glance. But I really don't have the knack.

"Mm."

"So I got out of the car and left him there. I don't know what happened to him and I don't care. I'm not getting mixed up in that crap."

Greyghost sat down on the edge of my desk. "You're too young to remember Thunderhead when he first acquired his inhuman abilities. I hadn't seen him in years--he left my mother in the mid-1970s--but I recognized him instantly on television. Obviously, I had mixed feelings about him, but I was very proud of him that he was Thunderhead."

"Seriously. I don't want to know this stuff."

"Then Incandesca died. I think that affected him strongly. In any case, he dropped out of sight."

"Greyghost! I said I don't want to know about it! I'm just the guy who does your photocopying, okay? I don't want to hear about you and your dad, or how you screwed things up with Ingrid, or anything! None of my business." Jesus Christ, the guy doesn't say three words to me for two years, and now he wants to open up.

"It will help you to understand," he said. I don't know if that meant that understanding about his messed-up family would help me, or if he was helping me to understand about his messed-up family. "By that time I had my own inhuman abilities, and I decided that if my father wasn't prepared to use his abilities on behalf of humanity, then I would use mine. I've only seen him a few times since, when he's tried to recruit me for help in ridding the world of inhuman abilities, and he doesn't know who I am. I'm sure it's better that way."

"Are you done?"

Greyghost picked up his mail, and stood up. "I'm glad you're back safely," he said. "There's always the potential for danger around Thunderhead."

"Didn't you just say that?" I asked.