UNMASKED

#02

"Authorities have yet to confirm the involvement of the city's infamous Vigilante, though witnesses claim to have glimpsed the man . . . ."

Eli wasn't paying much attention to what the woman was saying, mostly because it was his third time watching the news as he sat around, waiting for Matthew to show up. A mostly untouched sandwich rested on the coffee table in front of him while the burner phone Matthew insisted he carry around in case of an emergency was at his side. It had been still for the whole morning.

More than once, Eli had wanted to use it. He'd thought of calling Matthew. Of making sure he was alive. But then, the possibility of putting him in danger crossed his mind and Eli decided against making the call. Instead, he was left to sit around and wait, knowing there was very little he could do.

Not for the first time, Eli wondered why he ever let Matthew keep going out.

It was only a quick thought, because Eli knew perfectly well that there was nothing he could do. As much as he hated it, as much as he thought Matthew was being stupid for insisting on going out, he knew there was no changing the way things were. Vigilante was a part of who Matthew was. All Eli could do was accept that and do his best to keep the man alive.

"Sources tell us several people were taken into custody in the early hours of the morning in a case of what appears to be weapons trafficking." The news anchor relayed the news while Eli focused back on the television. "We are still waiting for more details in the ongoing investigation. . ." the anchor moved on to another story, clearly not having many details.

Eli wasn't surprised. It was usually that way when Vigilante was involved. The cops never wanted to say much, most likely not wanting to give any credit to the masked crime fighter or simply not being sure on what Vigilante had done. It was just one of the many sources of frustration for the local authorities.

Matt jumped up onto the couch, settling next to Eli as if to comfort him. Eli smiled a bit, some of the tension he'd felt seeping out as he pet the cat. It still didn't take away from the knowledge that he was fairly useless.

All Eli could do for now was sit around, waiting for Matthew to make it back, and be ready to treat whatever injuries he had sustained. It was frustrating, to say the least. Eli still skipped classes that day just to make sure he was there.

In hindsight, he should have gone on with his usual schedule. There was little chance of Matthew heading home in broad daylight, especially if he was injured. Still, Eli wasn't sure he would be able to concentrate when he knew Matthew was missing. At least this way he could just tell his friends he was sick instead of having to pretend to be alright.

The day dragged on, the news repeating the same information for hours on end. Eli's phone occasionally received a message from his friends while the burner phone remained silent. Slowly—more so than usual, or at least it felt that way to Eli—the sun went down and the sky darkened.

Eli sat there, waiting to see if Matthew would actually show up. Not that he knew what he would do if he didn't. For the time being, Eli avoided thinking about that.

The hours passed, each just as uneventful as the last, and soon it was well past midnight. Eli was starting to wonder if he should go out looking for Matthew. After all, he knew where he'd been the night before. If he was injured then he couldn't have gone too far.

But what if he comes back and I'm not here? He thought. If Matthew was hurt, he'd need Eli to take a look at him. Not to mention, he would most definitely panic if Eli wasn't home. Eli wouldn't put it past Matthew to go looking for him no matter how hurt he might be.