It was late at night. I had nothing to do but sit in my room and catch up on classwork. My stomach began to rumble.
"You hungry, Connor?" the mask asked.
"I guess. I don't wanna eat anything we have in the house."
"Why not head out and grab something?"
"I guess… maybe I'll head to Wawa and get a burger."
I grabbed my car keys and drove to the nearby Wawa. It was dark out, but I didn't care. I just wanted something good to eat, and Wawa burgers always hit the spot.
"Hey, what can I get you?" the cashier asked.
"Can I get a barbecue bacon cheeseburger… without cheese?"
"Of course. It'll be out in a few minutes. How will you be paying today?"
"Uh, debit card."
I reached into my wallet to grab my card.
"Connor," the mask said. "I think something interesting is about to happen. Look at the back door."
I turned and saw a man walk in—dressed in all black. He reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt and pulled out a gun. The first shot went straight into the air.
"Everyone on the ground! Now!" he yelled.
He rushed the counter.
"Give me all the money, and no one gets hurt."
The cashier, hands shaking, opened the register and began handing over stacks of bills.
"We should help," I said quietly.
"We should," the mask replied.
I pulled the mask out of my bag and slid it on. The spirit of the assassin took over.
The assassin walked up casually to the gunman.
"Yo-hoo, Mr. Robber," he said with a sarcastic grin. "Mind not robbing this gas station—or any place, really?"
"You want me to blow your head off?" the man snapped, waving the gun.
"Careful with that. Guns aren't toys."
The assassin grabbed the robber's gun and crushed it with one hand like it was nothing.
"Why don't we act like civilized people, okay?"
The robber pulled out a second gun.
"Well damn, did you get a two-for-one deal?"
"Another word and I'll blow your head off!"
"I figured as much."
The assassin grabbed the second gun and crushed it too—then, without hesitation, twisted the robber's arm, snapping it. Bone cracked. The robber screamed. The assassin didn't stop—he shattered the entire arm, down to the hand.
"People like you disgust me."
He punched the robber square in the face. The force sent the man's head flying off his shoulders, straight through the front window—shattering it—before crashing into a gas pump outside. The pump exploded.
"Yikes," the assassin muttered. "Sorry about that. I'll just take my burger and go."
He walked back to the counter.
"Here you go, sir," the worker said, hands trembling.
"Thanks. How much do I owe you? And… sorry about the mess."
"Don't worry about it. It's on the house. Thanks for saving my coworker's life."
"Appreciate it."
The assassin took the burger and left. A few seconds later, the mask dropped off, and I was back in control.
I got home and went to my room to eat.
"Connor, get down here!" my dad shouted.
I headed downstairs. He had paused a news broadcast on the TV. The screen showed a masked figure standing in Wawa.
Me.
"Care to explain?" he asked calmly.
"A guy came in with a gun and demanded cash. I didn't want anyone getting hurt, so I put the mask on. After that, I don't remember anything."
"A man died, Connor. The gas pump exploded. You can't just put the mask on and hope for the best."
"What else was I supposed to do?"
"You let him rob the store. You call the cops. You do anything but give that thing control. The assassin is dangerous. If I catch you using it again, there will be consequences."
The news anchor spoke again.
"Who is this masked man? Hero or menace?"
I walked back upstairs and sat on my bed, staring at the mask.
"You alright?" it asked.
"Yeah… My parents just love to be control freaks. I'm supposed to go to college, study my ass off, live their perfect life—but that's not what I want."
"Connor, now that you have my power… what is it you want? What are your goals?"
"You're an assassin. You wouldn't understand. You like killing people, don't you?"
"Killing people haunts me, Connor. Every person I killed… that was someone's brother, sister, mother. I don't enjoy it. I told myself if I ever took another life, it'd only be to protect those who can't protect themselves. People who hurt others—the bullies, the robbers, the monsters. That's who I target."
He paused.
"So… what's your goal?"
I hadn't really thought about it before. I had this incredible power… but I'd done nothing with it.
"My goal?" I said. "I wanna help people. Make the world safer. Be someone that matters."
"Then I'll help you however I can. You have my word."
"…Why?"
"Because you're my friend. And also, I have nothing better to do."
I smiled.
"I'll figure it out. I'll use this power for good. Mark my words."
"Then let's get started!"
"Wait—I need to finish my burger first. Also, it's late as hell."
"Do not worry, my student. I shall teach you everything you need to know to become the greatest assassin! Or at least the basics for now."
"Mask… thank you."
"No, thank you, Connor. Now hurry up. That burger isn't gonna eat itself."
"…You want me to put you on so you can eat it, don't you?"
"No, I couldn't possibly—okay, yeah. Just put me on. I'm starving."