I Am (Not) Your Hero

9

Smite hummed softly to himself, cooking 18 eggs. He was no small man, not to mention, the sheer amount of flying around he did. He was happy.

There's was a lightness on his shoulders.

Starlette, he'd found, through their new cohabitation was an early riser. He had untied her late in the night, giving her free run of the place.

She stood behind him, leaned against the doorway. "You're leaving?"

He nodded. "I am. I'll be gone the day, most likely. I'm heading to another galaxy."

"I wonder. There's never a time someone isn't in danger. How do you sleep? How do you rest?" She inquired.

"I try my best. Now I hope you like eggs. Let me give you the rundown: eat what you want, I don't mind. There isn't a room you can't go into. Make good choices."

She scoffed. "Make good...whatever."

He hummed and set a plate on the table.

Starlette edged toward the door. He probably had cameras didn't he? Maybe he didn't even need it. Maybe he could hear her feet against the wood creaking.

It did not bode well. This whole endeavor. He would kill her, she could already tell. Her shaking fingers closed gently around the knob, her heart pounding so loudly in her ears.

Oh fuck. Could he hear that too?

She inhaled trying to calm her heart rate. The door would be locked. Of course it would be locked, but she had to at least try to escape.

Where would she go? He could hunt her down anywhere, couldn't he? But it didn't matter. First she had to escape. Holding her breath, she turned the knob, and to her surprise it opened. She exhaled sharply, licking her dry lips and pulling the door open.

Holy fuck.

Was he so arrogant he forgot to lock the door?

Starlette smiled widely, dashing outside. The sun shone brightly, and warmly, heating her face. She wore nothing but his shirt her feet bare against the concrete, radiating heat and pain through her soles as she pounded them on the ground trying to get as far away as possible.

If he was in another galaxy maybe he wouldn't be able to hear her. Maybe she could far enough away before he got back—

Make good choices.

His deep voice echoed in her ears. She looked around. Where the fuck even was she? Was she even in the same country?

She'd been sleep when he took her. Starlette looked around, stumbling, her feet tripping over the other as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

A man jogged past her.

"Excuse me sir! Excuse me, where are we?"

The man paused and looked over her attire. "This is Park street. You look lost."

American accent. So he'd probably not taken her out of the country.

"What day is it? Do you have a phone? I really need help—"

"No...I don't." The man edged away, noting how disheveled she was. "Sorry I don't give money to homeless people."

Starlette didn't have the energy to run after him. The first thing Smite had done was starve, dehydrate and imprison her. She was weak.

Fuck.

All she could do was keep running. She was free though, she grinned feeling the air on her face as she ran, even as her limbs ached.

She just needed to get as far away as possible. First, she'd have to go home, and get her stash of money. And her sister.

Starlette stopped suddenly. No. That's exactly what he would expect. If she went home...he'd probably take her food

Fuck. Fuck! She couldn't get out of the country without money!

She looked around. There was nothing but this road for what seemed like miles. She didn't have energy to run miles. She was hasty. She should've bided her time, and mad a proper plan.

The sun suddenly blotted out, leaving a chill searing down her spine. She looked up.

"Where to little star?"

He had that smile, so soft and reassuring.

"I was taking a run."

He nodded. "You were? That's nice." His feet touched the ground, as he towered over her menacingly. "But it's time to go home now. You must be starving."

She swallowed roughly. "I'd like run a little more actually, I have a very intense workout regime so—"

He grinned, licking her up effortlessly. "Do you now? Well so do I! I have everything you'll ever need. At home."

Her stomach dropped, as he lifted off, her in his arm toward his home. Her fingers dug into his skin, as she leaned over his arm vomiting.

"You poor thing." He patted her back, swooping into the door and setting her on the ground.

She swallowed roughly. "It was a nice day—"

"Let me see you," he turned around, looking her over. "You could've gotten hurt. The world is a dangerous place, Starlette. And I think it would be nice if you...took some time off."

Her stomach swirled again as she shook her head. He kneeled down, taking her leg into his hand.

"I don't—I don't—"

His fingers massaged her skin for a moment before they softly dug into the joint of her knee."

"Oh I think you do. And I implore you to take it."

Her breathing shuddered, "Smite."

He smiled. "If I only I were some kind of hero, Starlette. Maybe things could be different. But...I'm not am I? So I suppose asking nicely isn't something I would do."

"Wait—"

Blinding pain seared through every neuron of her body, as he jerked her knee out of its socket.

"I told you to make good choices. Now I have to take your ability to walk until you learn your lesson. You see what you're turning me into, don't you?"

He picked her up, setting her on the couch, with a gentle kiss to the forehead.

He pulled back and grinned those lavender eyes flaming. Then he turned around, turning on the TV.

"I know you're home sick. But I'm afraid you'll be with me a little longer. A fire broke out," he explained, walking behind the couch, his large hands resting on her shoulders as the news story droned on, the reporter recounting the fire that had engulfed her entire apartment complex.

"Of course I went in  and saved all the people. And I'll pay to have them rebuilt. But anything that was in there is gone now."

Her money. He'd burned it down just so she didn't have a home to go back to, didn't he?

"Mind reading isn't a power I have but I've known people long enough to guess. I think you thought that even though I was a hero for the wrong reasons, I wouldn't hurt people." He bent down, his lips touching her ear. "You were wrong. It's okay. You're only human. It happens."

He smiled and turned off the tv, standing in front of it, the picture being washed away as words splashed on the scream.

Smite saves the day again.

"You are so...I like you so much, Starlette. You are amusing to me. You are my one mistake. And I'm going to make good use of it."