Hi guys. Okay, I was planning on creating this story for April 23 (My fanfiction anniversary) but whatever. I decided to actually put my serious writing skills into use. Yes, I have serious writing skills. I can actually do action very well, as well as mystery, sci-fi, and adventure. For goddess' sake, I could do all of those genres mixed together. But I'll keep this story to a realistic level, okay? Right. Anyways, this is Two-faced. Enjoy.
Two-faced
Prologue
Matthew was an optimist, with that shy grin always plastered onto his face, always telling himself that someday people will notice him for him and not for his career. He never even considers the fact that maybe no one will, not ever, and he never considers the fact that someone would ever have mental wars with him, or have a grudge against him, maybe silently seethe at the thought of him, or anything of that matter. He rarely got angry, and when he ever did, he would never show it. It's only been once that he's ever been so angry with someone that he told them all the things he didn't like about them, and that was his lookalike, Alfred.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that he hates his perfect image of a stereotype American. He loves him more than any other person—other than his grandmother—, being the one who ever notices him in social life, but as the people in his country say, you love who you hate the most. His country is the only one that would say anything like this, because they were peacekeepers, striving on helping others, polite with even the most crudest, and filled with a quiet and gentle aura. Most of the country, to say the least, were probably the nicest. But there are some parts where they are not very nice, maybe even entirely impertinent, and will spit on others shoes if they mistaken them for being a citizen of their neighboring country.
Matthew, thankfully, didn't hold that trait. And because of his well-known shy, optimistic, and adorable personality—his accent adding to the adorable factor—, no one would've guessed that he was a secret service agent for the Canadian government.
No, Matthew didn't hide behind a mask. He truly was a shy, optimistic, and adorable person. But that was only one of the two bilingual faces he held.
His second face was serious. It was able to pick out bad people from good in a matter of seconds, because it memorized every face that has been put up in the paper as a wanted criminal. This face has seen blood and gore. Limbs torn to shreds, chainsawed organs, shot heads, and pulsing wounds of the half dead bodies that came from heart wrenching explosions. This face was not nice, though it never has uttered any vulgar words before. This face was calm on the most desperate times, and ferocious when in action.
Now, both faces may be different, but it doesn't change the fact that they are the same person. Therefore, Matthew can easily mix both together at any time he wants. But, for the lack of a better statement, he doesn't. He may have a logical reason, for example; He wouldn't want to waste the energy for his strict face for his next mission. Or, maybe he doesn't have any reason. But for sure, whenever any authority ever asked him why, he would always give a simple shake of the head and continue in whatever he was doing previously, leaving the question floating in the air, waiting for its answer.
Despite his different faces—quiet and sweet against quiet and stern—they both had similarities, being in the same body and all. Though his second face never showed its emotion, it very much had many. Every innocent death made its heart welch up in sadness, feeling the pain off all the cracking and shattering ones, and with each cry and gasp of pain from its dear citizens, it would mourn in silence.
Matthew was not an emotionless, hollow-hearted body.
Now to a different subject, Matthew's work. He never took it as a simple game, not like some movie. He took it as a life or death matter, which it most certainly was. He trains every day, somehow always finding a way to train without his grandmother.
Yes, he did live with his gentle, kind grandmother. She was a polite, old, and caring woman who taught him spirit and love. He owed her everything. He was an abandoned child, surviving on the streets with uncomfortable sandals, tattered shorts that were too short and not very helpful in the cold, and a children's sized wife beater. He was just about ready to drop down in the snow and pass out, being too numb and too nauseous to do anything else, but as miracle has it, his Grandma picked him up and gently wrapped him in a blanket and took him home.
It's been 13 years since then, but Matthew still remembers it like the back of his hand. He was a four year old in need of help, and what hero came to rescue him? It was nothing like Spider-man, nor Batman, nor the Teen Titans or Superman. It was an innocent old lady simply walking in the streets, a loud beating and kind heart, wrinkled flesh, and intelligent mind. She held no super powers. She couldn't fly, like Superman, or spin webs, like Spiderman, and she couldn't run at a speed that shouldn't be humanly possible, like Northstar. And this partially inspired him to employ himself in the CSIS.
You must be wondering, partially? What else could have inspired him to become part of such a dangerous job? Well, that goes all the way back to the beginning, where we mentioned Alfred. His lookalike. He and Alfred met as small children, playing in a park. Matthew was home schooled, so he didn't have any friends, and he most certainly didn't play outside much, other than the park. The park was special to him in a way, because it was where his Grandma presented him with his first toy, which he still has today. Kumajirou. But back on track. You see, Matthew was in his long white nightgown, a red bow tied to his collar, and he was holding Kumajirou firmly in his grasp. He was in a serene state, sitting on the swing without so much of a kick of his feet. People passed by and noticed this, and even the children didn't dare come near the swing next to him, too afraid to disturb the peace around him.
That is, most of the children.
A boy almost exactly a year older ran towards him, placing his hands on Matthew's lap. Matthew jumped in surprise and gave the boy a disapproving look for invading his personal space. It took him a few moments to process that the boy who just did that looked nearly exactly like him, with only a few differences. The boy in front of him had blonde hair, just like him, and his facial structure was so identical to his own. The few differences were their eyes, and their skin. Matthew's skin was pale, nearly copying the snow, and his eyes very a toxic mauve. But the boy in front of him had tan, glistening skin, one that a surfer would strut as he or she rode the waves. His eyes were not violet, but a dashing sky blue color, which entranced him. Both boys looked at each other curiously, studying each other their features. It took only a few seconds for the both of them to come up with a conclusion. They didn't need to speak, not even with any simple gestures. Matthew jumped off the swing, and both boys walked together towards the slide.
Matthew still wondered today why they both had such similar minds. It was like their wave links were a perfect fit, and they could easily communicate with just a simple glance from their eyes. Alfred was the boys name, he found out when his mother called him for the picnic he and his family were planning to have. Alfred forced him to join the picnic, and Matthew's grandma just came to keep a close eye. The boy was much more talkative during the lunch, and Matthew just watched the boys face. He was almost entrancing in a way, because Matthew seemed to be looking into a mirror, yet he was not. Because his mirror at the moment was only showing who he wanted to be. And he soon learned that even if he accomplished becoming like Alfred, there will always be another thing that he wants to be. And since Alfred was the mirror he wants, he would be wanting to be a hero later. So why not just skip to being a hero? That's what got him into the CSIS. And he is grateful to Alfred for inspiring him.
By the age of 15, Matthew decided. He would be a spy. He needed to wait two more years, of course, and not only that, but he would need excessive training to work his poor, bony build. He took up the goal of being in as many after school and in school sports programs that would still give him enough time to spend with his lovely grandmother. He became an amazing baseball player, yet he wasn't too fond of it due to being beat up constantly by Alfred. Alfred was much too strong for his age. Well, much too strong to be human, that is. Eventually, Matthew was apt at hockey, and was pretty average at football. Basketball improved his aim, agility, and arm muscles, and he took up soccer to exceed in his running abilities, as well as in school track. Eventually, he became the school's sportaholic. Even Alfred seemed to be impressed by his never ending stamina, and he'd always give him a friendly pat in the back after P.E., a flushed face from all the competing he did with his friends. Well, Matthew assumed he was still competing. He didn't know because he was focusing on training.
And yet, in the two years off all the sports, he never exactly grew a beefy and muscly body, which was quite strange. His punches were hard and could easily knock someone out, and his legs were strong and long, extremely fast and hard to avoid when being targeted with a kick. With his appearance alone, you could easily mistaken him for a very amateur spy, or maybe not even a field spy at all. Probably the one who sits behind a high tech laptop and give commands or directions to a field spy. But, once he proved his abilities to the Canadian Secret Intelligence Service, he was immediately recruited. After taking on flawless rookie missions, he was put into higher and higher ranks, eventually proving his abilities to such an extent that he was able to become the most well known spy for his sniper shots, his agility, and his mental tampering skills, all in just one year. The agency was scared of what would've happened if he didn't decide to join their team, because if he worked for any other team that would be targeting them, they might as well have been screwed over in the blink of an eye.
And now, he simply gets a shallow ring of a phone in his pocket and he's already trudging through the long building with a dominating vibe, his eyes piercing into every soul around him, his quiet feet vibrating tense sounds even in the bustling structure, and his chin held high enough that it was basically tattooing the words "high authority" across his forehead, just without the humor that would cause. And when he gets his files, he opens it, skims through it, give the files back, then exit the building and begin his job.
The only reason he's ever been excused from school was because of the fake job description his higher authority had given to him, being a man who works with a movie director. Due to this, he has actually been shot in a movie or two, which weren't very popular, but it was enough proof to get him off the hook with his principle. Alfred constantly asks him things about his job, how it's like to be a star and such. Matthew would always give him a short and sweet answer, not really being able to muster any courage to tell him more. Besides, he abhors the thought of attention being thrown at him because of something like a job. Both of his faces do, and therefore, he keeps quiet on his jobs and daily life, mostly asking others about their day. Well, Alfred mostly, considering he has a limited abundance of friends.
Eventually, he successfully had everyone return to their daily routine, without any of them questioning about his movie career, all knowing how much of a discomfort it was to the boy, and all knowing how much it displeased him when others brought up the subject. Alfred was the only one who was brave enough to ask, but the way he asked it wasn't one of those excited "I just met a celebrity" types of questions. It was more of a way of asking how Matthew was doing in his life, and he appreciated how Alfred respected his space when he did not want to answer, and how he never squeals like a fangirl when he says that he has a new drama he is working on. Alfred understood him more than anyone, and Matthew understood Alfred in the same way. They were complete opposites, but it didn't change their friendship.
And Matthews life now is probably perfect for any secret agent of the CSIS, with a loving grandmother, an amazing best friends, and a respectful school. All that, and his most prime and dominant skill, his job in the making, his agenting.