Never Heroes

Chapter Nine: Debt

Dark

I stumbled into the apartment building chuckling with my mask still on my face. "Oh my god are you okay sir?" the counter lady asked seeing the blood that covered my blood most of it not even mine, but I just shrugged her off as I walked up the staircase next to her counter to the hallway leading to my apartment. I struggled to breath even after I tore off my mask that's when I knew something was wrong I felt my grip on my own consciousness loosen and saw the edge of my vision begin to blacken. I reached my door and lifted my hand to the door but it was too late as whatever consciousness I had left fleeted and I fell to the ground the last thing I saw being the blurred image of my mask as I dropped it when I hit the ground and the figure of someone running to help me "No hospital" I murmured.
I woke up taking in a deep breath of air as I shot up my hands putting a death grip around the table i was laying on. I looked around to see the girl I saved and two other people standing around me staring at me in amazement. "Oh thank goodness" the girl said, "We thought you were dead" I noticed my breathing was adjusted "Hospital!" I shouted "Did you call a hospital!" she backed away a bit "No, no, no you begged us not to" one of the guy chuckled "Technically you said if we did you would use one of our ribs to kill all of us" i let myself calm down and even laughed a little "What happened? What was wrong with me?" I asked, throwing my legs over the table so I could stand up. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" she said, "I'm a nurse not a doctor and one of your ribs was puncturing your lung" I froze "I did my best to fix it but it's best you try not to move" I stood up anyway expecting an unbearable amount of pain but felt nothing above a pinch in my chest "Hmm you must be a damn good nurse" I said, moving through her stuff looking for my mask "Where's my mask" one of the guys lifted it up in the air "You're one of those vigilantes right?" He asked, I laughed grabbing my mask "No I just forgot it's July and not October" I also found and took my jacket putting it on over my bare chest "My name's Teresa by the way" the girl said, trying to keep me from leaving "and this is my brother Jace" she pointed to the two guys next to her. "Well you saved my life, so I guess we're even but I have to get going" I told her hurriedly, as I tried to move for the door. "Wait, wait, wait I need to ask you something" Jace said, stepping in front of me and putting his hand on my chest "That mask its carbon nano tubing right?" I nodded confused on how he knew all this "Listen" he told me "You saved my sisters life and I'd like to repay you for that" I cocked my head at an angle "You already did, you know rib, lung, all that good shit?" I said, Jace shook his head "No, no, no that was her now it's my turn" he said "I work at a lab in Westchester Turner Technological Labratories" I laughed under my breath, I once tried to kill his boss "I can make you some armor" at that he had my attention "No Jace that's called stealing" Teresa told him, concern in her voice "No Tera" he said, "I owe him this, We owe him this" they stood there having a staring match for a few seconds before she gave in, solemnly nodding in agreement. "Great!" Jace said, "I actually have a couple of ideas" he walked off looking for something "A couple?" Tera called after him "You've wanted to be a superhero superhero since your were 6 I've seen your sketch books you have more than a few ideas" I burst out laughing.