Secret Identity

A Story by Adrian Frederick Adam

A story that tackles most of cliche movie plot points.

“Take a look at this!” Frank said as he showed me the news on his tab:

A man wearing a black mask over his face was caught on a CCTV camera as it surveyed the whole scene last night.

Apparently, there was supposed to be a stake-out that night at the BGN Bank, if it weren’t for the masked vigilante.

The headline on the tab said:

MASKED VIGILANTE HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

“The a*s hole took out three other a*s holes. There’s a video, you should’ve seen it. The m**********r used another m**********r to beat up two other m***********s. That m**********r!” Frank claimed.

Frank wasn’t ecstatic about the masked vigilante. His dad was head of the police department and the mayor wasn’t euphoric with the department each time the vigilante struck -and his dad was taking it all up on Frank.

“Man, if I ever find out who this guy is… He’s probably just our age… - y'know what, he’s probably here too, I don’t know… Ahhh man, I swear, if I find ou- “

“ - you'll do what?” Alex interrupted, as he sat on the chair besides Frank, “-you’ll do what, Frank?”

“I - I - I'll beat him up!” Frank claimed.

“You’re kidding me right?” Alex asked, questioning Frank’s capabilities to beat up the masked vigilante.

“You said it yourself -that person used a m**********r to beat up the other m***********s with ‘im. How are you better off beating him alone compared to those three guys?”

“Well, those three had it coming - I mean, look at them! There’s a reason they were about to make a stake-out -they had nothing to eat! I’ll probably weigh heavier than all of ‘em three” As he referenced the three’s skinny physical appearances.

“Oh c’mon! Your dad, and this city’s finest, can’t even catch the guy!” Alex rebuts.

Frank wasn’t able to answer back. Alex must’ve pulled a nerve, but he didn’t stop there.

“I mean, I don’t get why they’re trying to catch the guy - he's doing half o’ their work” Alex continued.

Frank had enough of the insults, he wasn’t taking it anymore.

He stood up and was prepared to give Alex what he was planning to give the masked vigilante - but before he could land the punch, Alistair grabbed hold of Frank’s wrist,

Alistair just stared at Frank, and shook his head.

That was Alistair. He just saved Alex from a beating.

He wasn’t always that attentive - and let me be clear with this - he is not the kind of guy you’d see stopping a fight, especially between two of the school varsity’s most prestigious athletes.

I mean, if you had to pick between Alistair and a rock for your dodge ball team, you’d go pick the rock. That’s his stereotype.

Always at the corner, hiding behind everyone, minding his own business; he’s, like, all the weird guys from those high school movies - y'know, the ones where there’s always that one guy who takes comfort from solitary captivity; 10% nerd, 10% geek, 80% weird. Yup that’s Alistair, alright.

I’m just saying, he doesn’t really go out, away from his chair, yet this time, he actually did something that made him come out of his self-made ‘Fortress of Solitude’ at the back of the class.

Frank must’ve felt ashamed having been stopped by the least person you’d expect.

“Ahhhh - you're not worth it!” Frank cried.

“Chill, man! I’m just grinding your gears. I’m just saying, if the police caught the vigilante, I’ll probably volunteer to defend ‘im - if I was a lawyer. I mean, it’s his right after all - right? I just have to say, I became a fan… with all his doings; cleaning up the neighborhood and s**t...” Alex defended.

I was halfway processing what Alex said, when I noticed Alistair looked back at our table - with a smirk - as he was walking back to his seat at the back of the class.

There was something about Alistair that made me a little bit curious to the meaning behind that smirk - y'know, like, from those cliché superhero movies, where-when someone talks about the hero without knowing that his alter ego is at the same scene, and he just smirks whenever they come up with something good that he did. I felt a little bit of that particular cliché on Alistair - that moment.

That’s what was bugging me. It felt strange - because, off all the people, Alistair, would be the least you’d expect - y'know, cause the hero has to be, like, all athletic, and strong, and quick, and stuff.

I mean, I haven’t actually seen Alistair do anything in gym class. I could hardly see him do anything in school. He just goes - and that’s it. He’ll leave right after class finished.

Well, except this one time - but he was so subtle about it.

He was making his way to the restroom while doing these tricks on the hall pass. And as I make my way out of the restroom - I saw him, see me, seeing him do what he was doing with the hall pass; he was flicking it everywhere. It was awesome!

And so, he stopped everything he was doing, and pretended he wasn’t doing anything - like, those kids you see at the movies, where-when they get caught doing something age inappropriate, they’ll be, like, shaking their bodies, avoiding eye contact, and all those s**t. Trying to not look suspicious, but actually making it a bit-lot more conspicuous.

Alistair did all of those things! Including the retreat - while trying to hide ‘something’ behind his back.

And then it hit me!

What if that’s what he was trying to do in the first place? What if he was trying to pull himself away from attention, so when things take a turn he’d be the least you’d expect?

So, I texted Frank about this - that evening after school:

Hey man you notice something strange from Alistair earlier?

And Frank texted back:

No. not really. Wassup?

Then I told him:

I dont know.

He kinda just came outta nowhere

when it was bout to git rough between you and Alex.

And he replied:

When you thnk about it, his grip was kinda hard earlier.

Whut ar yu sayin mah homie?

And I just had to let it out: