“My creator.” Cap K bowed on one knee, full of admiration.

Cash stopped screaming long enough to realise that Cap K wasn’t going to hurt him. He was hailing him.

“Cash? Is alles OK?” Magz banged Cash’s bedroom door. “Wat gaan aan (What’s going on)?”

Cash didn’t know what to do. Should he tell them that his own drawing had materialised in front of his eyes?

Cash looked at Cap K. He was wearing a red flowing cape and a superhero costume with the words ‘Captain Kind’ printed in gold on his chest. The two boys were equally in awe of each other.

‘This is the best moment of my entire life! Cash thought. Just like out of a book.

Magz still hammered at the door, and Cash made up his mind.

“Hide under my bed!” he ordered. Cap K quickly obliged, still dazzled by the boy who created him, right in front of his eyes. When he was safely out of sight, Cash opened his door.

Roy and Magz sighed with relief when they saw Cash was alright.

“What’s going on?” Cash asked, pretending to yawn, as if they had just woke him up.

“That’s what we want to know,” Magz said. “We heard a girl’s scream coming from your room.”

“I don’t sound like a girl!” Cash yelled.

“That was you?” Roy laughed.

Cash blushed. “Yeah. I was having a nightmare. It must have been this crazy storm. But I’m fine now.”

Roy chucked Cash’s chin. “That’s my laaitie.”

Magz looked doubtful. “Are you sure you’re OK?” she asked. “Are you scared of this horrible storm?”

Cash had to assure her three more times that he was alright before the two of them went back to bed. Cap K crawled out from under the bed.

““Why did you lie to them, my creator?” he asked.

““I didn’t lie,” Cash said. “I omitted the truth.”

Cap K raised eyebrow.

“OK,” Cash said and rolled his eyes. “I told a small white lie. But it was harmless. Everyone does it.”

““You wrote me so that I never lie, my creator,” Cap K said.

Cash thought about it. Yes, that was how he’d written Cap K. Captain Kind, his namesake, was his power. Cap K was righteous and good, through and through. There wasn’t a nasty bone in his body.

““How did you get here?” Cash asked, poking Cap K to check if he really was real.

“That tickles!” Cap K laughed. “And I’m not sure. I was arguing with Glamour Girl and I just felt this magnetic pull. And suddenly, I was standing in your room.”

“Amazing!” Cash said, opened mouthed.

“Are you OK, my creator?” Cap K asked, when Cash was silent for a few moments.

“Call me Cash,” Cash said, trying to recall all the traits he instilled in Cap K. “And we’ve got to do something about those clothes.”

Ten minutes later, Cap K was wearing Cash’s old T-shirt and jeans, looking relatively normal. The only thing that stood out were his eyes. They were bright purple.

“If anyone asks,” Cash said, “tell them you’re wearing contact lenses.”

“Another lie?” Cap K asked.

“Just think of it as hiding your superhero identity. You wouldn’t want people to know who you really are, right? That way Professor V and others like him would know who the people you love are.”

stood deep in thought. ““OK,” he said finally. “To protect my identity and the people around me, I’ll do it.”

This was going to be a long night.

***

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