Healing Hands Nursing Home, Visitation Room #103

Within one of the visitation rooms at Healing Hands Nursing Home, a woman was anxiously waiting.

Despite some signs of aging, most people who saw her would still consider the woman to be quite attractive. The majority would mistake her for being someone in her late twenties when she was actually already nearing her fifties. Her light blonde hair was kept in a neat bun on the back of her head, which showed off her refined features. She had striking blue eyes, which made her seem even more appealing. She was wearing a neat white blouse with a pair of simple jeans. She gave off an overall clean impression, and her kind demeanor would make most people want to trust her.

The woman was currently rubbing her hands together, which was something she unconsciously did when she was really nervous. She was giving the doorway frequent looks, while seemingly wishing for someone's arrival.

After a minute of waiting, the door finally opened, and a handsome young man walked in with his black suitcase in hand. He had sleek black hair and brown eyes, hidden behind a pair of black-framed glasses. His features wouldn't make anyone doubt him if he told them he was an actor or celebrity. The man looked to be about 175cm tall, with a medium build. He was obviously in very good shape and was wearing a neat grey suit.

The man had a bit of a gloomy expression at the moment, and his mouth gave the impression that it hadn't been used to smile in a very long time.

The woman couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the man's presence. She also felt something familiar about him, but she just couldn't really put a finger on it.

The young man saw the woman as he went inside, and offered his hand to her, while saying, "You are Mrs. Sarah Spencer, I believe?"

"Ah..." The woman, Mrs. Sarah Spencer, was a bit stunned at first but eventually snapped out of it, and extended her hand to return the offered handshake. She tried to smile as she nodded and said, "Yes, that is me. Can I ask what...?"

"Please just call me Nate, ma'am." The young man, Nate, tersely replied before Sarah could finish asking. He then looked her in the eyes and said, "I am here to talk to you about your son, Nathaniel."

"Ah!" Sarah exclaimed. The young man's odd somberness, as well as the intimidation she felt all went flying away when she heard that he was here to talk about her beloved son. She worriedly asked, "My precious son, how is he? Where is he?"

"Please calm down for now, Mrs. Spencer." Nate tried to calm the distressed woman as he sat down on the sofa opposite hers. He then loosened his tie a little, then looked back into Sarah's trembling eyes, and said, "First of all, your son is okay."

"I-I see..." Sarah heaved a heavy sigh of relief. She had just suddenly woken up in this nursing home a few days ago, not knowing what was going on. The doctors, nurses, and caretakers hadn't really told her anything, except that she was sick, and she had to stay there. Even after she had begged them, saying that she had to see her son, they all refused. Sarah had felt herself gradually sinking into madness due to her worry over her precious son, who was still only 6 years old. Knowing that he was safe relieved her greatly. She ended up smiling brightly as she asked, "C-can I see him...?"

Nate shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Mrs. Spencer."

"Why!?" Sarah hysterically screamed. She had to see her precious boy. Her dear son was still so young, he cried whenever he was away from her for even a little bit. How could she even call herself a mother if she left him in that state? She pleaded desperately with the young man in front of her. "C-can't I see him for a little bit...?"

Nate stiffened a little from Sarah's pleading, but still mercilessly shook his head and said, "I'm afraid we can't do that, Mrs. Spencer. It is for his own safety, after all."

"Wh-what..." Sarah stammered in shock. "What do you mean...?"

"Did the people here not tell you that you are currently sick?" Nate inquired pointedly.

"Th-they did s-say that... b-b-but they wouldn't tell me what I was sick with..." Sarah stuttered out a reply. Why was the man talking with her about this? Weren't they talking about seeing her son?

"Then let me ask you, Mrs. Spencer..." Nate narrowed his eyes in an intimidating manner while staring back at Sarah's. "Are you fine with seeing your son, even with the knowledge that you could infect him with your disease?"

"!!!" Sarah felt like she was struck by a bolt of lightning.

"Haaah." Nate shook his head as he sighed. "Please just stay here, Mrs. Spencer. In about a month or two, you can see your son again."

"A-a month..." Sarah repeated unconsciously. Would she really have to wait that long? Could her son wait that long? She felt her heart shatter just imagining how much he was crying for her right now.

"You do not need to worry, Mrs. Spencer. Shortly after you were sent here, he was taken into protective custody. He is in safe hands." Nate tried to reassure her.

"B-but still..."

"There is nothing you can do. We do not want to potentially infect your child, do we?" Nate said, putting more emphasis on his words.

"Th-that's true..." Sarah gradually calmed down. Even if she was anxious, that wasn't a reason to endanger her son's life. In the end, she had no other choice but to do as the man said. She would have to stay in this place for a month. She couldn't help but want to make sure that her son was okay though, as she asked worriedly, "Did he cry for me...?"

"..." Nate looked into Sarah's eyes and for a moment, Sarah thought she saw a trace of sadness flash through them. "He did. But he eventually... got used to it."

"I see..." Sarah felt tears threatening to burst from her eyes. Her six-year-old boy had to get used to her being gone? Her heart stung as she thought of it.

"..." Nate looked pensively at the older woman, who was trying her best to hold back her tears. He propositioned, "Why don't you write him a letter? or give him something to remember you by, to tide him over until your reunion."

"Oh!" Sarah exclaimed in realization. "I-I should make him an origami sword then. He loved it when I folded one for him... oh, but the letter..."

"You do not need to worry, Mrs. Spencer," Nate said, as if he had foreseen her concerns. "I shall read him the letter personally."

"Oh! That would be a great help, Mister... uhm, Nate." Sarah replied happily, although she hesitated a little about how to address the young man. She wanted to be a little more respectful, but since he hadn't given her his last name, she had no choice but to use his given name. She looked around searchingly, "Ah, paper..."

"I have some right here, Mrs. Spencer." Nate extended a few sheets of paper and a pen that he had retrieved from his suitcase.

"O-oh..." Sarah was a bit shocked by how prepared Nate was. He had even handed her some paper of various bright colors, which would be great for making origami with, as if he had expected everything already. But Sarah didn't really put it to heart, since it was more important that her son would likely be very happy with the results. She beamed happily at Nate, "Thank you so much."

"..." Nate just nodded somberly in response, then closed his eyes as if implying that he would wait for her to finish.

Sarah took the cue and started deftly folding the papers into the little origami swords that her son liked so much. She couldn't decide which color to use, so she just decided that she would make one for each color available. She didn't notice that the young man in front of her had opened his eyes at some point, and started silently watching her as she went about her work.

"..." Nate just secretly stared silently as the woman folded the papers with practiced hands. Seeing how serious she was in the simple task of folding paper, it was obvious to anybody that she cared deeply about her son. With complicated thoughts running through his head, Nate spoke out, "You must love your son quite a lot."

"Oh..." Sarah paused for a moment, but then continued her work while smiling. "Yes. That boy is my treasure. Raising a son on my own is certainly hard, but just seeing him makes all the fatigue go away."

"..." Nate stayed silent for a bit, but then tersely replied. "I see."

"He's really great..." Sara didn't seem to mind the lack of response, she kept her head down as she smiled warmly while she continued folding. Sarah said, a bit braggingly, "He'll be a lady-killer for sure when he grows up. I may be a bit biased as his mom, but he's really the most adorable thing ever. He's got my blue eyes and his late father's auburn hair. And his smile!"

Sarah paused a bit, remembering her precious son's beautiful smile.

"It's the most beautiful thing in the world you know?" She said proudly. "He's always smiling about every little thing. He would smile about how nice the weather was. Or how yummy his food is. The simplest thing would just make him smile all day."

"..." Nate continued to stay silent as he watched the woman do her work.

"I feel that..." Sara said a bit emotionally, "I feel that it's my duty as his parent to make sure that he keeps that smile forever, y'know?"

"I see." The young man's expression didn't change at all as he replied. He rubbed his hands together a little, before saying, "He's lucky to have a mother like you."

"..." Sarah paused and looked up to see the young man's face. Even though the young man seemed to be as expressionless as he was before, she didn't really feel all that intimidated by him anymore. Sarah smiled warmly as she replied, a bit of a blush on her face. "Geez. What are you saying to an old lady like me? So embarrassing... but, thank you for saying so."

"I was just saying my thoughts. You don't need to thank me." Nate said in a bit of an indifferent tone.

"Oh, you..." Sarah smiled at him in exasperation. "Even though you seem a bit scary, you're actually quite kind aren't you?"

"Kind..." Nate repeated unconsciously, then shook his head in denial. "That's not true."

"And why is that?" Sarah asked, still exasperated. Why couldn't the young man just take her compliment?

"Because I do bad things," Nate said seriously. Sarah couldn't help but think that he seemed to be saying it a bit guiltily, but she wasn't quite sure. "A lot of bad things."

"Bad things, is it..." Sarah ruminated over it for a while, then smiled as she said kindly. "Sometimes, Good people do bad things too."

"That's true." Nate surprisingly agreed immediately. But then shook his said and stated, "But that is not the case with me."

"..." Sarah couldn't really say anything else when the person in question was denying it so vehemently. She was just about to ask him to talk about it some more, but she was interrupted.

"Mrs. Spencer, you should quickly write the letter." Nate interrupted, he couldn't help but put a little edge in his voice to make her hurry. "It seems that you've finished the swords as we talked, so only the letter remains."

"Ah... that's true..." Sarah absentmindedly said. She really wanted to talk to the young man a bit more, to try to help him with whatever he was feeling, but he obviously didn't want to talk about it anymore. She began rapidly writing on a piece of stationary. She was a fast writer, and she finished writing the letter in a few minutes. She then folded it neatly and handed it, and the origami swords to Nate. "Then, please deliver them..."

"I will." Nate deftly but carefully placed them in his suitcase, then stood up to leave. "Mrs. Spencer, as I said, please behave and stay here for a month or so. I will come back, and let you see your son soon."

"Yes." Sarah obediently nodded. She now knew that her son was okay, so she didn't feel as worried as before. If it was just a month, and especially since it was for her son's safety, she could hold out. "Thank you very much for everything, Mr. Nate. Please tell little Nathaniel that his mother is okay, and that I really want to see him soon."

"I understand." Nate nodded, then started walking towards the door. When he reached the doorway, however, he turned around and bowed toward the woman. He then smiled, although it was a bit stiff. "Goodbye, Mrs. Spencer."

"Ah..." Sarah was a bit stunned by the young man's smile, since he gave off the impression that he wouldn't do it even if you threatened him with a gun. For some reason, she felt a faint sting in her heart as she looked at it. She replied, although she couldn't hide her confusion over the strange feeling. "Ah... yes. Please take care on your way, Mr. Nate."

The young man turned around and left, leaving the bewildered woman in the room.

*****

"Haa~" The young man, Nate, sighed heavily.

'Even though I've done this so many times, I can't get used to it...' He thought inwardly. He couldn't help but heave another sigh as he walked towards the nursing home's exit. A few nurses and caretakers saw him as he left, recognized him, and waved in greeting. Nate waved lightly back, forcing an amiable smile on his face.

Although Nate didn't really like smiling, nor did his bitchy resting face make it any easier for him, Nate could do it if he tried. For the purpose of continuity, he had to be polite to the staff here.

He eventually made it outside, where he found his car. He got on, started it up, then drove away after giving the nursing home one last look.

'If all goes well, I'll be back in a month.' Nate thought as he faced forward.

His face was expressionless.

*****

Nate eventually arrived at his destination. A slightly run-down house in the suburbs.

The house looked as if nobody really lived in it, and the state of its front yard reinforced this misunderstanding. The weeds were overgrown, and there were even a few pieces of garbage strewn across the ground.

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The fancy and expensive-looking black sedan that was now parked in front of the house looked incredibly out of place.

Nate got off the car, unlocked the front door, then went inside.

"Haaaa~" he sighed as he placed his suitcase on his bed in one of the house's rooms. He then took off his suit jacket and his tie, then stowed them away in his wardrobe using a hanger.

Nate then took his suitcase and went to another room.

"*Cough* *Cough*" he couldn't help but be buffeted by the dust that had built up. Nate cleaned this place about two times a year, and it seemed that it was about time to do it again. But then he had a thought, 'Meh. I'll do it later.'

Nate chose to procrastinate instead.

He walked up to a large trunk at the very back of the room and used a key to open it up. Inside the trunk were countless origami swords of varying colors. Nate took out the origami swords he had inside his suitcase and deposited them in the trunk. He then closed it, then locked it securely. He tried to open up the lid a few times, just to make sure that it was locked properly.

Afterward, he walked to a pile of shoeboxes in the corner of the room. Each of the shoeboxes had a number on them, and the biggest number was 13. Nate took the shoebox labeled with the number thirteen on it and removed the cover, to find a pile of folded-up pieces of paper inside. Nate placed the box down, took out the letter inside his suitcase then started to read it.

'Even after so many times, she still writes the exact same letter...' Nate mused, a small smile forming on his face. Even if he already knew what was written inside, he still diligently read the entire thing. It only took him two minutes to finish reading. He carefully folded the letter again, then placed it inside the shoebox, closed it, then returned it to the pile.

Nate then took his suitcase and left the room, closing it shut and locking it behind him. He then threw the suitcase on top of his bed and went to the bathroom.

While on the sink, he took off the colored contacts he was wearing, which revealed his bright blue eyes, and put them in their container.

He then washed off the dye coloring his hair. After he wiped it with a towel, his natural auburn hair was revealed in all its glory.

After checking himself over in the mirror, Nate then took off his clothes and went into the shower.

*****

After Nate finished taking a shower, he put on some pants and changed into a simple white shirt, then wore a jacket over it.

'This'll do. Not that my work has a dress code anyways.' Nate thought as he made his way outside.

On his way to his car though, he saw what seemed to be a deliveryman loitering in front of his house.

"Can I help you?" Nate called out.

"Yes. I have a delivery." The delivery man was just about to leave the package in front of the house's door but noticed sounds of footsteps coming towards it. He had then retreated and waited for the person inside to come out. The delivery man smiled amiably and asked, "It's for a... Nathaniel Spencer."

"I'm him." Nate nonchalantly said. He took out his wallet, and showed the man his driver's license, just to give him some additional peace of mind. "Here, check it yourself."

"Oh, there's really no need..." Despite what he said, the deliveryman still took a glance at the driver's license and confirmed that the man was indeed the recipient of the package. He then handed over the package to Nate.

"Where do I sign?" Nate asked a bit impatiently. He had places to go, after all.

"Oh, I just need to take a picture of you with the package real quick." The deliveryman took out his phone and pointed it towards Nate.

"..." Nate just stood there indifferently, and let the picture be taken. After he heard a shutter noise, he raised an eyebrow as if asking 'Are we done now?'

"Thank you for your cooperation. Please have a wonderful day!" The deliveryman quickly noticed Nate's impatience and scampered off. He felt a dangerous aura coming from Nate, he obviously didn't want to fuck around and piss the guy off.

"..." Nate watched the deliveryman get on his van and drive off, before heading over to his car, and unceremoniously tossing the package to the backseat. He then got in and then started up the car.

As he drove off, he took out his phone and made a call. The person on the other side picked up immediately.

"Oh, Nate! Did you get the package?" A voice asked over the phone.

"Yeah, I did. By the way, why are you sending drugs by courier service? What is this, online dealing?" Nate dryly asked. "I really don't think transporting the goods this way is a good idea, boss."

"What are you talking about? The times are changing and even people like us need to adapt." The boss said, with a hint of exasperation. "It's a new era, Nate. The new era. Drug dealers no longer have to show up in person soon, and will just have to send the stuff through courier services! We gotta get with the times, Nate! We don't wanna be left behind!"

"Yeah, yeah," Nate replied noncommittally. "Then why the hell do I still have to give it to them in person? Couldn't we've just sent it to them in person?"

"Well, I would love to do that, but the guys this time are somewhat... difficult." said the boss. He then clarified in a disgusted tone, "And by difficult, I mean they always try to get concessions and shit!"

"Uh-huh." Nate casually responded. "Again, why do I have to go?"

"Because I need you to talk some sense into them. Hahaha." The boss replied while laughing heartily. "You're good at that. Threatening people, I mean."

"Haaa." Nate sighed, then nodded. "Fine. But I get a bigger cut."

"Haha." The boss laughed boisterously. He then spoke with a hint of amusement, "That's what I like about you, Nate. You've got spunk. Alright, after taking out the production costs, you take 70% profit this time. Deal?"

"Deal." Nate indifferently agreed. 70% was a lot more than what he would've suggested. He didn't even have to hesitate.

"Alright. I'll send the location, now. Be careful Nate, they might be packing some heat, so you should come prepared too." The boss cautioned.

"Right. Don't worry." Nate replied without a change in his expression, then he remembered something. He asked, "If they try something, I can kill them, right?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Just off them. Not like we have any trouble finding buyers, yeah? No worries." The boss casually approved the potential death of some strangers, as if he was talking about the weather.

"Okay. I'll call you after I'm done." Nate tried to hand up, but his boss suddenly asked something.

"Oh, I heard you were gonna visit your mother?"

"..." Nate hesitated to answer, but sighed as if in surrender. He didn't like talking about it, but he couldn't really just hang up on his boss when he was asking something. "Yes, boss. I just did."

"I see..." The boss trailed off for a bit, before asking with a hint of awkwardness, "Is she uhhm... you know..."

"Yes, boss," Nate confirmed matter-of-factly. "She still has Alzheimer's. She still thinks I'm 6 years old right now. She still thinks cell phones cost an arm and a leg, so she still writes letters. It's not really something that just gets cured, boss."

"I-I see... Sorry I asked." The boss apologized, as he'd realized that he had stepped on a landmine. This wasn't really the first time he had done this though, but he was curious about Nate, his capable young employee, so he ended up still asking from time to time. The boss tried to instill a bit of warmth in his voice as he said, "Well, chin up alright? Life's tough. But we still gotta live on, yeah?"

"Yes, boss," Nate replied.

"Alright, good. Call me after the thing, alright?"

"Yes." Nate then hung up the phone and sighed.

'Did you have to ask me about my mother, right after telling me to deliver your drugs?' Nate thought irritably. 'Now I feel especially ashamed at the moment...'

When he was around fifteen years old, his mother suddenly collapsed. After she woke up, she had lost a large portion of her memories. Her latest memories were from when Nate was six. He had tried his best to explain what happened to her and that he was fifteen now. It took a lot of talking, but he eventually got her to accept it.

However, the tragedy wasn't over apparently. After about a month, his mother's memories would reset. She wouldn't remember anything past the time when Nate was six. This would repeat after about a month, again and again. Sometimes, it would only take a week or two before her memories reset.

Nate's mother was his only family. His father had died when he was four-years-old and all his grandparents had passed away. Nate wasn't aware of any aunts, uncles, or cousins he had either.

He had nobody else to rely on, now that his mother was like this.

So he dropped out of school, and tried to find work while somehow taking care of his mother. Even though his mother would forget him every month, all he had to do was explain things every time.

His mom was always eager to take pictures of him when he was younger, and he always let her, so they had a lot of photo albums to prove the truth to her. Even though it pained him every time he saw her realize that she had lost her memories, Nate didn't really have any other choice.

There weren't a lot of ways for a fifteen-year-old to reliably earn money, but Nate had a certain special ability, which helped give him an edge. He worked tirelessly hard doing odd jobs all over the neighborhood, like mowing lawns, fixing fences, walking dogs, and babysitting. And since he was handsome, there were ladies who... sponsored him in exchange for services.

Nate managed to maintain this lifestyle for three years.

When he was eighteen, though. His mother's actions started to change. It seems that knowing the hard life she had put her son through for years, made her... unstable.

In other words, she tried to harm herself, so that Nate wouldn't have to take care of her anymore.

One time, she had even tried to sell her body to help raise money for him to get back to school.

Nate couldn't take it anymore after that, so he sent her to a nursing home, so she wouldn't have to watch him work hard.

Even though it was a painful decision to do so, he couldn't really accept the alternative. Nate didn't have anyone else to leave his mother to, and he naturally couldn't watch her all the time either, so he had no other choice, really.

He eventually decided, for her safety, to hide his identity from her.

He would play these charades, where he would come and tell her that her son was doing fine and that she would see him again in about a month. And as he would leave, every time, his mother would make him the origami swords that he used to love, and write the same letter. Always asking him to be a good boy, telling him to wait patiently, and that she loved him.

Nate did this again and again. Over and over. For six years.

Even if he could quantify how much time it was, it still felt like an eternity to him.

Nate would pretend to be a stranger every time he saw his mother, since he didn't want her to worry about him, or blame herself for his hardships.

Did Nate blame his mother, though?

The answer was yes.

His mother was the reason. That couldn't be denied.

But so what?

Even when he was a pain in the ass brat, did his mother leave him?

No.

So, Nate wouldn't abandon her even if she was a pain in the ass, too.

Even if being forgotten by her every month, crushed his heart, he had still worked hard.

Even if acting like a stranger toward her every time he saw her was tough, he worked hard. He would continue to work hard.

That was what he wanted.

His mother was a burden that he wanted to bear.

So he would do so. For as long as he lived, he would take care of her.

No matter what he had to do.

*****

Eventually, Nate arrived at an abandoned construction site. This was apparently where they would make the exchange.

'Damn, this place looks sus as hell.' Nate assessed the place from afar. 'Well, let's get this over with. Gotta work...'

After Nate had sent his mother to a nursing home, his income from the various jobs he did just wouldn't cut it anymore.

His highest paying gig was being some rich chick's boy toy, but even that wasn't cutting it, since he still had to pay various bills.

That was when someone introduced him to the boss.

Nate didn't really know his real name, or what he looked like, but the man seemed to run a factory for various drugs.

And he needed people to sell them.

Nate came up as a potential employee after he was recommended by one of his more... shady friends.

Nate took the job after some thought, and quickly excelled at it.

Now though, he no longer had trouble paying for his mother's stay in the nursing home. After years of working, he even had a somewhat large amount of savings in case anything happened to her. The money he had saved up was enough to pay for her stay in the nursing home for decades. Nate was actually starting to consider quitting this gig and finding some other job. Preferably one where he didn't potentially have to fight law enforcement.

Nate opened up his glove compartment, took out a handgun, and turned the safety off. He stowed it in the inner pocket of his jacket, along with some spare magazines.

His preparations complete, Nate got off the car, opened up the back door, and then took out the package. It was a bit heavy, but Nate was fairly strong, so it wasn't any trouble for him.

'Haa~h. I hope they don't do anything stupid...' Nate went deeper into the abandoned construction site, hoping for the best.

*****

'Son of a...' Nate cursed inwardly. His hopes had been dashed, the bastards he met had stupidly tried to steal the package from him.

He had eventually taken all four of the assailants out, but not without injuries of his own.

Nate had three gunshot wounds on his left leg, one on his left shoulder, and three on his stomach.

That would normally be fatal for most people, but Nate didn't panic.

He sat on the ground and leaned against the wall, as he closed his eyes and focused.

If someone saw him right now, they would most likely think that he was preparing for his inevitable death, but that wasn't what he was doing.

Nate was focusing on using his special ability.

As if it was magic, the bullets lodged in his body started being squeezed out, eventually popping out of his body. Then his wounds started closing up. After a few dozen seconds, one wouldn't find a single sign of the previous wounds (As long as one ignored the blood). There were no scars and his skin and flesh were as good as new.

'Phew. It worked.' Nate inwardly sighed in relief. He had always known that he could heal from small wounds to nonlethal areas like that, but he didn't know what would've happened if one of the bastards had managed to get a bullet in his heart or head. 'Having superpowers really comes in handy sometimes.'

Yes, Nathaniel Spencer, was someone with a superpower.

He had only discovered it around when he was fourteen-years-old. Nate hadn't told his mother, since she might just get worried or something. She was a surprisingly superstitious person, and Nate couldn't predict how she would react if he told her that he had a superpower.

Nate decided to call it, [Restoration] since it seemed to restore or regenerate anything beneficial to him that he'd lost.

At first, Nate just thought it was convenient since he didn't need to sleep, drink or eat. Of course, he still did, since sleeping felt nice and he liked eating good-tasting food and drinks. But he didn't need to do it.

So, even if he forgot to bring his lunch to school, or decided to stay up all night playing games or reading a book, it wouldn't have any repercussions.

When he was working hard to earn money right after his mother collapsed, this power had come in handy so that he could work hard all the time. He never got tired after all, and he could even save money by not eating anything. And if he didn't eat anything, he also wouldn't have to take a dump, which would help reduce water bills and toilet paper usage.

Nate remembered the time when he didn't drink or eat a single thing for three years straight.

His power even restored his health so he never got sick. He didn't even have to worry about STDs!

Nate's stamina practically never ran out either and so did the nutrients that his body needed.

So, Nate was pretty much in his optimal state all the time.

And naturally, as it was displaying now, his superpower healed his wounds too.

One might think that there are better uses for such a power, other than using it to survive shootouts.

However, Nate had a counterargument for that.

'What's in it for me? What'll I lose if I reveal this power to the world?'

If he revealed to the world, that even if you took out an organ or two, they would grow back, what would happen?

Wouldn't he get kidnapped by either the government or some criminal syndicate, and become an organ farm for the rest of his life?

If he revealed to the world, that once his body reached a certain level of growth, let's say... at twenty-five-years-old, his power would start to constantly restore his body, essentially making him immortal, what would happen?

Wouldn't he be kidnapped by the government or some rich asshole who wanted to discover the secrets of immortality? They would experiment on him to see if they could get in on some of that action too.

He didn't have super strength, or laser eyes to protect himself if the world just decided to mess with him. Worse yet, he even had a loved one that could be used to threaten him.

So, Nate decided that he would just secretly use this power however he wished. He even worked solo so that he wouldn't have to reveal it to anybody.

For his mother. For himself.

Only those two people mattered. He would only use his powers for those two.

"Guuuhhh." Nate groaned in pain. Even if his wounds healed like mad, he could still feel pain. And for particularly deep wounds, like the ones caused by bullets, normally there would be some kind of phantom pain remaining for a while.

'It's kind of like a hangover, but worse.' Nate mused as he massaged his stomach with his right hand and his left leg with his left. Those were the places with the most hits. 'Seems like I really have to quit this job...'

As Nate was musing on how he was going to tell his boss about his resignation, he heard a loud metallic grating sound come from above.

He looked up, only to see a steel beam was falling right on top of him.

"Shit!" Nate exclaimed. 'Did a stray bullet fuck with something? Just my damn luck!'

He sprang into action to dodge, but he couldn't outrun the large piece of metal falling from above. Nate's body was crushed instantaneously under the beam.

Nathaniel Spencer, aged twenty-three, a secretly superpowered person, just died in an abandoned construction site.