The Ones You Call When Everyone Else is Busy (3)

Later that night, Nick was reading his comic books. He thumbed through to the back where all the ads were: learn how to draw cartoons, get a comic book subscription, and get a psychic reading…. And then he saw it. In the smallest print ever was an ad that read, “Need help? We’re the ones you call when everyone else is busy. 555-HERO.”  Nick snuck downstairs and called the number. “Hi, you have reached The Ones You Call When Everyone Else Is Busy. Please leave a message and we’ll be around to help you as soon as we can fly or well, walk there.” Nick sighed. This did not sound promising. “Hi, my name is Nick and I need help. My dog is missing and I would really like to find him and well all these dogs are missing and I think something is going on but no one will listen to me and I was hoping you could help. Oh and I live in Middleville and my name is Nick and my address is 9312 Lewis Street.”

On Saturday, Nick’s parents were painting their bedroom and they told Nick to go outside and play. Kate was out with her family and he really didn’t want to do anything else so he sat on his front steps. A breeze blew gently around him and it smelled like…maple syrup? Nick looked around. Suddenly, in the air were two people flying, well to be exact, one was flying and holding someone else and that someone else was screaming. “Look out, Sixty Second Flight Girl. You’re going to drop me.” “Only on your head,” said Sixty Second Flight Girl. “What was that?” “I said, ‘I hope you’ve been fed.’” Sixty Second Girl hurdled toward the ground right in front of Nick. Nick jumped up. “Uh who…who…what are you?”  The man who had been screaming now stood in front of Nick’s steps. He had his hands on his hips. He wore cream colored tights, a utility belt and a shirt with a picture of a stack of pancakes on it. His brown cape fluttered in the breeze behind him. “I am Captain Pancake,” he said in a very deep voice. “Captain Pancake?” asked Nick, still not believing what he was seeing. “You called us remember? We’re The Ones You Call When Everyone Else is Busy. Oh please tell me we have the right address. Sixty Second Flight Girl, did you get the wrong address again? This is embarrassing. Let’s go. Up, up and up.” “Wait,” said Nick. “I did call you but you just aren’t quite what I was expecting. I mean, I wasn’t even sure you would come and I… Captain Pancake?” “Yes,” said Captain Pancake, his voice was very deep. “Instead of webs, like a certain other superhero that I know who shall remain nameless because he thinks he is so much better, I shoot butter and syrup.”  “Really? Butter and Syrup?” Nick asked. “Don’t laugh; I hate it when people laugh at me. Just because I don’t crawl up walls or fly around at the speed of light, people think I can’t do anything special but I can.” “Okay, okay,” Nick said, raising his hands in surrender. Nick turned to the girl standing in front of him. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater and carrying a backpack. She looked no different than anyone else. “And you must be able to fly for only sixty seconds at a time?” “What was your first clue? Yep, I’m the only one of us who can fly.” She said proudly. “Only one of whom?” Nick asked. “The only one of The Ones You Call When Everyone Else Is Busy, of course.” “Okay,” Nick said, “We have to do something about that name.”

“So,” Captain Pancake said addressing Nick again, “What seems to be the problem?” “Well, my puppy, Chewy, is lost and I know you are going to say what every other grownups have said that it happens sometimes. This is different though because it is not just my puppy that is missing. I’ve seen a few signs in the neighborhood for missing dogs and there are no stray dogs around and oh what’s the use? You won’t listen to me anyway. No other grown up has.” Nick said. His answer came out so fast that Captain Pancake had to listen carefully to hear what was said.  “Whoa, there little man. If you say something sinister is going on in the dog world, well then we must check out this canine caper. I just have to change into my disguise.” Captain Pancake grabbed Sixty Second Flight Girl’s backpack and jumped behind a row of hedges. He came out wearing his cape and shirt but he had thrown a pair of jeans over his tights. “Nice disguise,” said Sixty Second Flight Girl, “No one will ever notice you walking around now.” Captain Pancake smiled and said, “Thank you.” Nick was not entirely sure it was a compliment. “Wait a second, while I go tell my mom where I am going.”  Nick opened the door and yelled to his parents, “Mom, I’m going to go look for Chewy with my new friend, er, CP.” Nick knew that his parents were way past the age that they believed in superheroes and they would probably think he was crazy if he said Captain Pancake and Sixty Second Flight Girl were outside. “Okay Nick, take your Lightning Bug phone and be careful.”  Nick groaned. His Lightning Bug phone was so embarrassing. He wanted a real cell phone but his dad didn’t think he was ready for it yet so he had one of those phones that only called four numbers and 911, for emergencies. The sad part was, he only had two numbers filled in, his house and Kate’s. Nick took his phone and shut the door. “See honey, he is making new friends. I knew there was nothing to worry about.” said John.  “I wonder what CP stands for,” Jen asked while brushing paint off her hands, “Charles Peter or Christopher Patrick… who knows? I can’t wait to meet him though.”