My Secret Identity

By Ryan Bartlett

Chapter 7

“How about this one?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“I told you, no capes.”

“What’s wrong with capes?”

“Seriously?” said Bobby, giving Spencer an annoyed glare.

“Ok, ok, no capes. Geez.”

Spencer was eager to help Bobby with anything he could to make his life as a crime fighter easier. As it turned out, he needed a costume. He couldn’t continue to fight crime as Tommy the Timberwolf. One, he’d ditched the costume, two, it was such an awkward thing to wear, and three, even the bank robbers had laughed at him. Not to mention the news coverage. The story of the bank robbery made all the papers, and though everyone agreed what the Timberwolf had done was heroic, the late night comedians were having a field day.

It was Monday after school, and after a short stop by his house to pick up his comic book collection, Spencer headed for Bobby’s. The boys kicked their shoes off and were lying on Bobby’s bed, thumbing through the comics to find inspiration. Bobby set two firm rules as soon as they started: one, no capes and two, he would not be wearing his underwear as outerwear.

“I got it,” snapped Spencer. “What about this one, minus the cape?”

“Robin?”

“You’re Robin, he’s Robin. It fits.”

“My mom’s the only one who calls me Robin,” Bobby reminded him. “Not to mention that costume violates rule number two.”

“He’s not wearing underwear over his pants,” Spencer pointed out.

“No, he’s not wearing pants at all! Just little green briefs.”

“They’re cute,” Spencer grinned.

“Well, Robin’s a sidekick, so if anyone is going to be fighting crime in his underwear, it’s going to be you.”

“Hey, my job is to hang out at base and monitor communications for you. I could, and probably will, do that in my underwear,” Spencer giggled.

“Spence, I need you to focus. This is important.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“It’s ok,” Bobby smiled and pecked him on the cheek, then went back to paging through the comics. “What do you think of this one?”

“Superboy?”

“I think I have most of that stuff in my closet.”

“It’s pretty simple,” said Spencer. “I think most boys probably have that stuff in their closet.”

“Be right back,” said Bobby.

Bobby disappeared into his walk-in closet. Spencer heard a few crashes and some muttered curses, but a few minutes later Bobby emerged. He was wearing a black form fitting t-shirt that showed off his toned pectorals and narrow waist. The shirt was tucked into charcoal grey cargo pants which were in turn tucked into a pair of black combat boots. The outfit was completed by a pair of black Under Armour batting gloves. It wasn’t exactly what Superboy wore but it was a pretty close approximation.

“Where did you get the combat boots?”

“Swiped ’em from my dad.”

“Really? Where did he get them?” asked Spencer. Mr. Fixx was more of the suit and tie kind of guy.

“He’s in the Army Reserves.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“The Army paid for law school. The only condition was he had to serve a few years in the JAG Corps. He likes it, so he sticks around.”

“Hmm, who knew?” said Spencer, expressing his surprise.

“Back to the matter at hand. What do you think of the outfit?”

“Well, it has its pros. You can move around in it and the dark colors will conceal you. It should be easy to carry around in your backpack for quick changes. One question, though. What’s with the batting gloves?”

“They’re tight around my fingers so I won’t lose any dexterity, and they’ve got good grip,” Bobby explained.

“Yeah, but why do you need gloves in the first place?”

“Duh, finger prints. What’s the point of concealing my identity if anyone can just dust for prints and find mine all over the place.”

“Good point. I can’t believe I overlooked that.”

“So you think this will work?”

“Yeah, and you look cute too,” Spencer winked. Bobby blushed.

“The only problem I see is how to conceal my face.”

“I got that covered,” said Spencer as he reached for his backpack. “Now don’t laugh, but this came from the costume I wore to Hunter’s Halloween party last year.”

Spencer handed over a small black domino mask.

“How do you keep it on your face?” asked Bobby. There wasn’t any kind of tie or strap.

“Spirit gum. I brought that too.”

Spencer took the spirit gum from his backpack and applied some to the mask. Bobby put it on and it stuck in place.

“Cool, where did you get this?”

“Picked it up on Amazon.”

“What did you go as?”

“Er, Robin.” Spencer blushed.

“Oh my God, that’s why you suggested the Robin costume! You’ve already got the little green undies!” Bobby laughed.

“Shut up!” Spencer growled then laughed himself.

“So, how do I look?”

“I hardly recognize you,” Spencer teased.

“Spence…”

“I think you look like a hero.”

“Really?”

“Yeap, but then you’ve always looked like that to me,” Spencer blushed.

“Awwww, Spence, you’re so full of crap.” Both boys laughed. “I guess the only thing left to do is pick out some sort of name.”

“Nope, you don’t get to do that.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re going to get media attention, and it’s not like you can do interviews or send out a press release. They’ll give you a name in the first news story about you and that’ll probably stick,” said Spencer.

“Uh, what if the name they pick sucks?”

“You’ll have to live with it.”

“Nothing I can do about it?”

“Not really. Now, can we make out?” Spencer grinned wickedly.

Bobby hopped on the bed and playfully tackled Spencer. They started kissing and made out until they heard the garage door open. Bobby’s mom was home.

“We need to do this as much as we can,” Bobby giggled when they pulled apart.

“I agree. Hey, you wanna sleep over Friday? It’s the last day of school, and we’re hanging out at the fire house that night.”

“Sure, that sounds fun, but why are you hanging out at the fire house?”

“Dad’s got the night shift, so mom’s going to whip up a batch of her four-alarm chili for the guys. It’s a big job, so me and the girls are supposed to help her serve.”

Spencer’s father, Danny McCoy, was a captain in the Tacoma Fire Department. Bobby remembered Mr. McCoy taking them on a tour of the fire house and for a ride in the truck when he and Spencer were little boys.

“I think that sounds like a blast. Count me in,” Bobby agreed.

Over the next few days Bobby and Spencer spent their time studying for finals and turning Spencer’s studio into their headquarters. They figured Bobby would be able to cover both Tacoma and Seattle, so they bought wall size maps of King and Pierce counties. Bobby hadn’t figured out how to pick the lock on his dad’s briefcase yet, but Spencer had an alternative plan for finding criminals. Early in his career Danny McCoy carried a portable police scanner with him to monitor communications at work. He hadn’t touched it in years, so the boys decided they would use for their work.

Spencer also came up with a device made out of Velcro and nylon straps so Bobby could strap his iPhone to his wrist. This way he’d be able to follow his GPS, read incoming texts and, thanks to Bluetooth, keep in communication with Spencer. The folks at Apple would never know it, but they made all the equipment America’s first superhero needed to hit the streets and stay linked in.

Bobby gave it a lot of thought and talked it over with Spencer before deciding he should only respond to major emergencies or life threatening situations. He couldn’t use his powers to rescue cats from trees or hunt down shoplifters. He had to focus his efforts on the big, dangerous, fish. While there was plenty of crime in the Tacoma-Seattle area, none of it rose to a level Bobby felt he should respond to, so the last week of school was a quiet one.

Spencer’s family was about as Irish as you could get. His dad was a fireman, they had a small army of kids, and all of his sisters had red hair. Bobby loved hanging out at the McCoys’ house; it was always so lively compared to his house. Spencer was happy to have Bobby over too. It’s not that he didn’t like being at Bobby’s; it’s just that Mr. and Mrs. Fixx decorated their house like a museum, and he was always afraid he was going to break something valuable.

On Friday the boys met Bobby’s mom in the faculty parking lot and she drove them to Spencer’s. Bobby packed a small overnight bag that morning and of course his backpack, which his mother noticed he seemed to be taking everywhere these days. When they arrived at Spencer’s, Miranda kissed Bobby on the cheek, ruffled Spencer’s hair, and then sent them on their way. A couple of hours later they jumped in the McCoys’ Suburban with Spencer’s mom and his three older sisters, Mary, Sara and Rebecca.

When they got to the fire house the boys unloaded the groceries while the girls helped their mother in the kitchen. When Mrs. McCoy’s famous four alarm chili was ready they carried the huge pots out to the dining room and helped dish out bowls for the fire fighters before serving themselves and joining Spencer’s family.

“This smells really good, Mrs. McCoy,” said Bobby.

“Thank you, sweetie,” she smiled. Irish mothers are all alike. Compliment their cooking and they’re putty in your hands.

“Why do they call it four-alarm chili?”

“Taste it,” Spencer grinned.

Bobby took a heaping spoonful of chili and put it in his mouth. He had to struggle not to spit it out. It was delicious, but it was about the hottest thing he’d ever eaten.

“Holy crap!” said Bobby as he reached for his water glass.

“You don’t like it?” Mrs. McCoy frowned.

“It’s great, it’s just so hot! I didn’t realize it would be that spicy.”

“Spence, you didn’t warn him?” his mother admonished.

“Must have slipped my mind,” he grinned.

“I am so getting you back for that.” Bobby smiled wickedly. He enjoyed the rest of his chili but made sure to take smaller bites. He was still sweating.

They were just finishing up their meal when the alarm sounded and a voice came from the wall mounted speaker.

“Station 5, this is dispatch. We’ve got an apartment fire at the corner of 16th and Olympic. Please respond immediately.”

“You heard the lady, boys. Saddle up,” said Captain McCoy. The fire fighters dropped everything and scrambled out of the room to put on their protective gear.

“Dad, dad,” Spencer shouted after his father. “Can me and Bobby come?”

“I don’t know Spence. A fire is not really a place for kids.”

“Please. We won’t get out of the truck. I swear.”

Danny traded a look with his wife, and when she shrugged her shoulders he gave in.

“Alright. Stay in the truck and don’t touch anything,” said Captain McCoy, then he ran off to gather his equipment.

Since the boys didn’t have to change, they raced to the truck and climbed into the cab. Despite his reluctance to bring the boys with him, Mr. McCoy had taken Spencer before. It was a new and exciting experience for Bobby, and he felt a huge rush of adrenalin as the siren wailed and they sped downtown.

When they arrived at the scene, Captain McCoy jumped down from the truck and started issuing orders. It was a six-story apartment building. The fire began in the basement but quickly spread to the first floor. Most of the residents had been able to get out before the blaze grew too much, but there were still people believed to be on the fifth and sixth floors. There was a ladder truck on its way to rescue the residents on the upper floors, but at the rate the fire was burning they might not make it in time. Captain McCoy made a snap decision; he and his men were going in. Bobby thought it was about the most heroic thing he’d ever witnessed.

Despite agreeing not to touch anything, Spencer reached up front and turned on the truck’s radio. It was tuned to the frequency the fire fighters used on their walkie-talkies, and the boys were able to listen to everything taking place inside the building. The boys stared out the windows watching the action unfold. Flames destroyed windows and licked the exterior of the building, charring the brick façade. Suddenly there was a crash so loud the boys heard it where they were sitting.

“Dispatch, this is unit 2. Part of the stairwell collapsed on McCoy and Sherwood. We’ve got debris blocking the path and the fire is getting worse. Over.”

“Daddy,” Spencer winced and leaned towards the radio.

“Roger ,unit 2. Can you get Captain McCoy and fireman Sherwood out of there?”

“Negative. We need more men. There’s too much weight. We can’t move debris and hose down the flames all at once.”

“Roger, unit 2. Stand by. Backup is on its way. ETA, five minutes.”

“Tell them to move their asses, dispatch. We may not have five minutes. This building is falling apart!”

Spencer’s heart felt like it was stuck in his throat.

“Bobby, please, you have to…” he started, but when he turned to face his boyfriend, he and his backpack were gone.

As soon as he heard Spencer’s dad was in trouble, Bobby raced from the truck and into an alley. He quickly changed into his costume and flew back to the scene of the fire. He landed on the front stoop. A fireman tried to stop him, but he pushed past and went inside.

Bobby had never seen a fire from the inside before, and despite his powers he was scared. The flames were everywhere, and while they didn’t burn his skin, he saw them consuming the building’s wooden support beams and internal framework. He knew he had to act fast and raced for the stairs. When he got to the scene of the collapse he found four firemen. Two had to stay on the hose and suppress the flames. The other two were trying to lift the debris from their fallen brothers, but it was too heavy.

“Stand back,” said Bobby.

The firemen turned and had to blink their eyes. They were surprised to find a kid dressed like he was going to a comic book convention standing behind them.

“Get the hell out of here, kid. This place could go at any minute.”

“Keep the water on the flames. I’ll clear out the debris.”

“This isn’t a time for games! Get out of here and let us…”

Bobby was starting to learn that he had to prove himself. No one would look at him and think, “Gee, I bet this little guy could lift a car like it was a feather.” He ignored the firemen’s orders and grabbed a massive chunk of smoldering beam. The fireman’s eyes went wide as the lithe blond took the 900 pound piece of wood, kicked a hole through the brick wall and tossed it out onto the sidewalk.

“Keep the water on those flames,” the senior officer ordered. “Give the kid some space.”

Bobby continued to pull bits of rubbish from the pile. It took a minute or two, but when he saw Captain McCoy’s yellow jacket, he picked up the pace. When the debris was cleared they found the captain and the fireman conscious, a bit beaten up, but no worse for wear.

“What the hell?” said Captain McCoy when he looked into the face of his young blond rescuer.

“Ok, kid, we’ll take it from here,” said the firemen.

“Get these guys out. I’ll go upstairs and see if I can find any trapped residents.”

The senior fireman, Juan Garcia, ordered his men to evacuate their comrades, but he insisted on going with Bobby. Once they were above the third floor the flames died away; they hadn’t reached that far yet. The smoke, however, was a different story. It was like walking through heavy fog. It was hard to see, and even with his enhanced body functions it was hard for Bobby to breathe. Despite the difficulties, the pair pressed on. They searched every apartment until they reached the sixth floor.

In the last apartment on the sixth floor they found a mother with her baby clutched to her arms.

“Come on, lady. We gotta get the hell out of here,” Garcia ordered.

“I-I can’t,” she stammered. “My husband…he was fine one minute and then he collapsed.”

“Sounds like smoke inhalation,” said Garcia.

“Where is he?” asked Bobby.

“B-bedroom. W-who are you?” she asked when she realized he was no fireman.

“A friend,” Bobby smiled reassuringly. “Get them out, we’ll be right behind you.”

Garcia nodded his head and helped the woman to her feet. She’d been smart; as soon as the apartment started to fill with smoke she and the baby got down on the floor. Now that they were up and moving it was hard for them to breathe and they had to take turns inhaling from Garcia’s oxygen mask.

Bobby found the husband lying unconscious on the bedroom floor. He hoisted the man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and headed downstairs. While he’d been upstairs the fire spread to the third and fourth floors. Going down was hard, but he knew the man he carried needed immediate medical attention, so he pressed on. When he reached the building’s lobby he saw Garcia and the man’s family heading out the front door. In the distance he was able to make out Spencer hugging his father. Bobby stepped in their direction, but a massive rumble from the bowels of the building caused the front façade to collapse. They were trapped inside.

“Ok, don’t panic,” Bobby told the unconscious man he carried, though he was mostly trying to reassure himself. There wasn’t time to put the man down and dig his way out. Sure, he’d be fine, but there was no way the guy he was trying to rescue would make it. The only option he had was to go back up. He climbed the stairs, dodging falling debris as he went, but eventually he found the roof.

“Look, up there, on the roof,” someone shouted in the crowd below.

Spencer spotted Bobby just as a dozen flash bulbs went off. The fire was big news in a city like Tacoma, and while the firemen had kept quiet about the person helping them inside, there was no way to keep him a secret from those cameras.

“I-Is that a kid?” one reporter asked rhetorically.

“Un-freaking-believable,” Captain McCoy muttered. He was still a bit dazed.

Now that he could see what he was doing, Bobby leapt from the building and gently descended toward the nearest ambulance. News cameras recorded the entire event.

“Here, this man needs help,” Bobby told the slack jawed paramedics when he landed.

He laid the man on the gurney, and that seemed to snap them out of it. They started giving him oxygen as the flock of reporters broke through the police line and ran in Bobby’s direction.

“Gotta go,” Bobby clapped a paramedic on the back and took off into the night.

He circled around the block, found the alley in which he’d left his clothes and quickly changed. He made sure to put on his blue Tacoma Timberwolves baseball cap to conceal his blond hair. He didn’t want to go back to the scene of the fire looking like the guy who just saved the day.

“Bobby, where were you?” asked Captain McCoy when he rejoined them.

“I had to pee. Sorry I got out of the truck, but I really had to go.”

“Oh, er, that’s ok,” said Captain McCoy.

“Did I miss anything?” asked Bobby.

“Uh, yeah, you could say that,” said Captain McCoy.

Spencer shot Bobby a wink and they both giggled.

The building was a lost cause, and as the fire burned the support structure the whole place collapsed on itself. The fire fighters made sure the flames didn’t spread to neighboring buildings, but it was decided the safest course of action would be to let the blaze burn out on its own.

Danny McCoy insisted he was fine, but his men made him go to the hospital anyway. A building had fallen on him, after all; it wouldn’t hurt to get checked out. The boys rode back to the station with the firemen, and Juan Garcia kept giving Bobby strange looks.

“Crap, I think he recognizes me,” Bobby whispered to Spencer.

“Relax, he probably just thinks you’re cute,” Spencer laughed.

“Spence, not funny.”

“Don’t sweat it. It’ll be fine.”

When they reached the fire station, Spencer explained what happened to his mom. She’d been a fireman’s wife for many years and didn’t panic. She told her family to pile into the Suburban; she’d drop them off at home and then go check on Danny.

“Nice work, kid,” said Garcia, when Bobby and Spencer walked by.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Bobby.

“Sure you don’t, but thanks anyway,” Garcia smiled and patted Bobby on the back.

“I told you he recognized me,” Bobby whispered as he and Spencer headed for the car.

“Yeah, and he thanked you for your help. He was up close and personal with you and he met you beforehand. Criminals aren’t going to get that opportunity. Right?”

“No, you’re right about that,” Bobby agreed.

“Then don’t worry about it.”

When they got back to Spencer’s studio over the garage, Spencer practically tackled Bobby and smothered him with kisses.

“What’s this all about?” Bobby laughed.

“You saved my daddy,” said Spencer, struggling not to cry.

“He was fine. The firemen would have probably gotten him out of there,” Bobby blushed.

“Probably, but they didn’t. You did. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

“Spence, I love your dad. You don’t have to thank me. Let’s just get ready for bed, ok?”

“Yeah. Yeah, ok,” Spencer agreed.

Bobby went into the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. It had been a stressful evening, and the cool water was very refreshing. When he was done, he brushed his teeth, stripped down to his underwear, and then climbed in bed. Spencer was next to use the restroom and came out in his plaid boxers. He got under the covers and snuggled close to Bobby, then planted another kiss on his lips.

“I’ll give you a blow job if you want,” said Spencer.

“What?” Bobby exclaimed.

“I’ve gotta thank you somehow.”

“Whoa, Spence. You’re not blowing me out of gratitude,” said Bobby. “I want it to be special when we do that. I don’t want you to do it because you think you owe me.”

“Ok, but if you want…”

“No, I’m not ready yet,” Bobby admitted.

“Ok,” Spencer agreed. Once Bobby said no he kind of knocked the wind out of Spencer’s sails. He wanted their first intimate encounter to be special too. That didn’t stop him from being a horny 14 year old though.

“So no blow job tonight,” said Spencer.

“Right.”

“Could we maybe do something else?”

“Like what?”

“I’ve never touched another boy’s dick before. I’m pretty curious,” said Spencer.

“Yeah, I guess I am too,” Bobby admitted. “Just through the undies, ok?”

“Sounds good to me,” Spencer grinned.

“Ok, go ahead.”

The boys fondled each other for a few more moments before reluctantly pulling away. It took all of their willpower not to rip each other’s underpants off and attack, but they knew they weren’t ready yet. They settled for a few gentle kisses and then fell asleep in each other’s arms.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Spencer smiled, when Bobby woke up the next morning.

Bobby was always cranky first thing in the morning, and usually Spencer was too.

“Why are you so perky this morning?” Bobby groaned.

“Well, let’s see. My boyfriend, the superhero, saved my dad’s life last night. I got to feel him up afterwards. Oh, then we made out a little bit and fell asleep in each other’s arms.”

“Yeah, that was pretty great,” Bobby yawned.

“As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also this,” Spencer giggled and handed him the morning edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The headline read, “BOY WONDER? Masked Teen Saves Fire Fighters, Apartment Residents.”

The story included a photograph of Bobby floating down from the burning building with the man he rescued over his shoulder. The paper identified the man as Will Baker. There was even a quote from him: “I don’t know who you are, but you saved my life. You helped save my wife and my daughter. God bless you, Boy Wonder.”

“Aww crap,” Bobby whined. “Boy Wonder? Seriously?”

“Looks like you got your superhero name, babe,” Spencer giggled and then kissed his pouty lips.