No More Heroes

A/N: I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell you all about a new fanfic archive – FictionPad. Unlike this site, it supports an MA rating and is very easy to use. The owners of the site are keen to listen to feedback and suggestions for improvement and you don't need an invite to sign up (like AO3). At some point I may stop updating here and post solely on FictionPad but I'll make sure to let everyone know if that happens. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

Chapter 3

Barksdale Boulevard, Bossier City

I stood side by side with Pam in front of the abandoned unit. It would be ideal for our needs ... with a little work. I had just finished explaining what I needed her to do for me, and she was still looking at me with incredulity.

"So, let me reiterate what you require ... in my own words." Pam drawled, her English accent making her sound more disdainful than she actually was. "You want a Bat Cave."

I shrugged. "Essentially, yes."

"And that would make me ..."

"Albert." I smirked.

"Ah, yes, because the position of female sidekick has been filled." She grinned. "Is this Steel Magnolia aware of your ... dietary requirements?"

"No and I would prefer it to stay that way as long as possible. With a little training on our part and some friendship building, she will be a valuable asset after our revelation."

Pam nodded and entered the structure. It was empty, dusty and vile but it had a basement and an opening at the rear which a car could drive through comfortably. I set off to the airbase nearby; they had some electronics we would need. I wasn't the biggest fan of technology or gadgets, but I knew an advantage when I saw one and three throat microphones and headsets would give us a definite advantage.

Merlotte's Bar & Grill, Bon Temps

I tossed my apron in the laundry hamper and retrieved my purse from the drawer in Sam's desk. As I had at the end of every shift, I reached for my cell phone to see if Polaris had sent me any messages.

"Sookie?"

I dropped the phone back in my purse and turned to smile, tightly, at Sam. His thoughts had been redder, angrier and I wasn't getting any snippets from him at all recently.

"Hey, Sam, is everything okay?"

Sam rubbed at the back of his neck as he closed the office door and sighed. "Sookie, chere, I know you and I know what you're doing."

My whole body tensed, but I continued to smile and try to look clueless. "Going home?"

"Or going to put on your costume, Steel Magnolia?"

It felt like I'd been a balloon that got popped, all the air went out of me at once and I tried to look confused. "Where would you get an idea like that, Sam Merlotte?"

"I know that Polaris isn't human – and that you smell like you've been keeping company of things that aren't human."

I blinked and tried to maintain my innocent look. "And how do you know that Sam? The same way I know there's something different about you too?" His face drained of colour as I narrowed my eyes. "Is your sense of smell a special secret, like people call me crazy Sookie because of my secret?"

"At least my secret won't get me killed." He growled it out, like he was part animal. "And, believe me; the longer you keep the company of va ... a guy like Polaris, the more likely you are to not come home again."

It was fleeting, but I caught it from his mind. The word that Sam had been about to say and stopped himself.

Vampires.

"Well." My composure was slipping more and more. "It's just as well I'm not keeping the company of Polaris then, isn't it?" I had to do something, say something to take the focus away from our hero identities. "For your information the only new person I've been spending time with is my boyfriend!"

I swept past him, ignoring his calls for an explanation.

~v~

I was still in a daze from the revelation I'd picked from Sam's brain hours later. I'd struggled to keep a conversation going with Gran over dinner, I waved off her concerns, lying and telling her I had an assessment of my Tai Kwan Do skills approaching. When my phone buzzed on my nightstand, my heart clenched.

NEW TARGET ACQUIRED. MEET AT GEORGE'S AUTO SHOP, BARKSDALE BLVD ASAP.

Did I dare to believe Sam's thought of vampires? He was keeping as many secrets as me at this point, but hadn't I been more than ready to believe in superheroes? Was the supernatural less believable than the superhuman? And if Polaris' powers were indeed supernatural ... then where did that leave mine? I needed more time to process everything, more time to get answers ... from whom, I wasn't sure. But until I worked out what questions I needed to ask, and who I needed to answer them, I was keeping a low profile.

CAN'T MEET TONIGHT. IDENTITY COULD BE COMPROMISED.

I couldn't think of another excuse, so that would have to do. I just hoped that I wouldn't need to come up with any more of them. I'd already told Gran I was going to my class tonight, I weighed up the pros and cons of staying at home rather than heading out as she expected. It would be less noticeable if I just went out.

When my usual leaving time came, I picked up my 'Tai Kwan Do' bag and kissed Gran goodbye. Unsure of what to do or where to go, I drove around for a while. I couldn't talk to Sam until the bar was closed and I couldn't talk to Polaris until I got more information out of Sam. I ended up at the mall in Monroe, wandering around and imagining myself in the outfits that graced the window displays. The mall wasn't busy, but not so quiet that I could find peace ... or pick out the bubble of nothing that seemed to be going in whatever direction I went.

Trying to stay casual, I made my way back toward where my car was parked. The closer I got to the exit, the closer the bubble got to me. My fear spiked and I stopped at a stand that sold candy. The seller was starting to pack all of his goods in the cupboards at the bottom of the cart.

"Hey, looking for something sweet before I shut up shop for the night?"

He was smiling in a friendly manner but close enough to my own age that it could be used as a pick up line. "Do you have any altoids?"

"I just packed them away, what flavour? I got peppermint or cinnamon."

"Um ... cinnamon." I fished my cell out of my purse as he searched for them and sent a quick text to Polaris before getting money from my wallet.

BEING FOLLOWED. PECANLAND MALL SW EXIT. IF UR NEARBY PLS HELP.

I looked around to see if I could work out who my shadow was as the candy man handed me my change. There was a woman pushing a crying baby in a stroller, she was thinking about getting home and having a bath while her boyfriend watched their son. A young couple walking hand in hand, looking forward to the movie they were going to see. The bubble wasn't in sight, perhaps hiding in the doorway of one of the stores that were closing up. But I could sense it.

"Are you okay, miss?"

I turned to the candy man. "Oh, I'm fine ... just waiting for a friend."

My phone stayed silent in my hand as I paced near the doorway and kept a look out. The bubble stayed where it was and that confirmed that it was following me. I thought about how Polaris' mind was a bubble, and how fast he was, and if the bubble-ness of his mind was linked to how fast he was. If there was a link, the chances of me getting to my car and safely away before this bubble caught up to me were slim to none. Candy man had locked up his cart and nodded to me as he walked past. Stroller woman had also left and young couple had wandered off to see their movie. It was just me and the bubble. Through the door I could see a security guard wandering around the parking lot but if the bubble was as fast as I thought it was then he was too far away to get to me if I needed help.

All I could hear was my heart thundering in my chest and my breath coming in short gasps from my constricted lungs. Yes, I was that scared. Throwing caution to the wind, I pulled up my contacts list and dialled Polaris' number. I heard a cell phone beeping nearby and narrowed my eyes. Was the bubble Polaris himself? Surely a bubble following me and a cell ringing in the same area as that bubble as I call the only other bubble I know is much more than a coincidence.

I ended the call and walked, slowly, toward my shadow. "If you are who I think you are; you can come out now. The jig is up mister."

I jumped in fright, maybe squealing too, when my phone rang in my hand. With wide eyes, I answered the call and held the phone to my ear.

"It seems you have me at a disadvantage. There's no sneaking up on you is there?"

"No." I relaxed at the sound of Polaris' voice. "So you might as well come out where I can see you. It's only fair, seeing as you've been scaring the shit out of me for the last half an hour."

I cut him off and put my phone back in my purse, listening to his laughter nearby. Spotting movement at the entrance to Forever 21 (which, if the vampire thing turned out to be true, would be pretty funny), I lowered my eyes. Sure Polaris obviously knew what I looked like now, I wasn't sure if his magic blood would still be working since it had been a week or so, but it seemed like the most likely way that he found me. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to know what he looked like. I would probably be able to identify him by his chest from a line up, but plausible deniability sounded good to me. If he followed me to the mall where else had he been following me? Did he know my every move? Where I lived? Where I worked? There was no way I had him at a disadvantage.

The first thing I noticed was the biker boots - scuffed, black and attached to a pair of denim clad legs. I stopped my eyes travelling any further and waited for the legs to come to me.

"We should go somewhere we can talk."

I nodded to the biker boots and turned around, walking at a fair pace toward the exit. I could sense Polaris just behind me. "Why were you following me?"

"I wanted to make sure your identity wouldn't be compromised."

We were alone in the parking lot when I spun around, pointing my finger in his direction.

"By compromising my secret identity?" It was too late to look away. I was caught by his strong features, his nose was straight, his lips were full and his brow was proud. Polaris' long, straw coloured hair framed his beautiful face and golden stubble interrupted the smooth, pale skin around his mouth. "By compromising both of our secret identities now, I guess."

"You didn't want to know what I looked like." He frowned.

"No!" I huffed and stomped toward my Nova. "And I didn't want you to know what I looked like either. The key to super heroism is anonymity!"

"Not for Iron Man."

"Yeah, well, he was a genius, millionaire philanthropist." I grabbed my keys from my bag and stabbed them into the lock. "You might as well get in, there's less chance of us being overheard."

I waited in the driver's seat while he folded himself into the tiny space available. Even with the passenger seat all the way back his legs were bent and there was only an inch between the roof and his head. The look on his face said all it needed to – I had a crappy car.

"So, Polaris, where else have you followed me? To my home? To my regular workplace?" In my head I added - And, just for the record, could you confirm if you're human or a blood-sucking creature of the night?

"I followed you home that first night."

"Why?"

"You caught my interest and I wanted to know how far away you were from me, if you were local, perhaps someone I already knew. I understand if you're upset about that."

"Well if you hadn't been a complete creeper tonight and frightened seven shades of shit out of me in the mall then I'd never have even known! Why were you so worried about my identity being compromised – not that it really was, it was just an excuse because I really didn't want to see you tonight."

If he was offended or even a tiny bit surprised at that comment he wasn't letting it show. "I see. Is there a specific reason you didn't want to see me tonight?"

My mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.

"Cat got your tongue Steel Magnolia?"

"I ... well ... using my powers I ... heard something that ... made me want to avoid ... Shreveport."

"I'm making you uncomfortable. I apologise, obviously it's something you don't want to talk about." I gaped at Polaris; he really was a nice guy! Any normal guy would have kept pushing and pushing.

"Thank you, I appreciate that." I looked into his eyes, they sparkled with vitality. "You know my real name, don't you?"

"Yes." At least he had the humility to look away from me. "And, in the interests of levelling the playing field, my name is Eric. Eric Northman."

"Okay ... Eric. I guess I'll be heading home now, or do you need a ride somewhere?"

Eric smirked at me. "I think not. I'll see you when you want to see me, Sookie Stackhouse."

"I'm getting some heat about my ... activities. Just so you know, I told my boss you're my boyfriend." His expression remained unreadable. "Y'know, to explain why I was spending so much time away from home."

"Is that so?" His eyes twinkled with amusement. "I don't think I need to point out that I'm certainly not a boy."

No, he wasn't. Polaris, Eric, whatever he wanted to call himself was all man. I stayed in the parking lot until he left my field of vision.

The Downward Spiral, Shreveport.

She was lying to me. And I hated it. My blood was still there, still letting me know where she was, how she felt and when she was telling the truth or not. Despite the nice guy act, I really did regret frightening her so much at the mall and her reasoning behind not wanting to see me tonight had tested that act. I walked the floor of the bar, nodding to the vampires in my retinue. There weren't a lot of us in Shreveport; vampires aren't the most social creatures – a normal nest will only contain four vampires on average and hanging out in bars was only done to find a meal.

"Eric."

Longshadow, the co-owner of the bar stood behind me. "Yes?"

"One of the youngsters got carried away. Behind this very building, of all places."

"I need a name."

"Jorge. Do you need me to run clean up?"

"That would be beneficial, Longshadow. Jorge is staying with Clancy, yes?"

Longshadow nodded and indicated to our human barman that he was going for a break. I trusted that Longshadow knew how to dispose of a drained human, all of us older ones did and all of the vampires that entered my area were made aware of what would happen if they ... left a mess that either I or one of my underlings would need to clean up. I set off to the modest ranch-style house that Clancy and his guest were occupying and walked in without knocking or announcing my presence.

"I had a good time, sweetheart, but you know this is just a one night stand." Clancy was applying a small amount of blood to the fang marks in his 'date's' neck while he glamoured her. "I'll call you a cab, let's wait outside."

He nodded to me as they passed and I searched the house for Jorge. He was in the den watching TV with another woman's head in his lap. Upon seeing me, he leapt out of the seat.

"What's wrong baby?" The woman wiped at her smeared lipstick, a look of confusion on her pretty face.

"We have some business. You can blow him another time. Please leave us." My presence was menacing enough for her to nod and grab her things quickly. I waited until she was out of earshot before continuing. "You left a mess, Jorge."

"It was an accident; she was sweet, man, real sweet. Longshadow he told me to get the fuck out of dodge – I thought that meant for me to clear out and he was gonna, y'know, take care of it."

"No, Jorge, he really meant get the fuck out of dodge. Do you know why we don't leave bodies?"

"Because it could reveal our existence."

"Exactly. And do you remember what I told you I would do if I ever found you had left a body?"

"You said you'd rip out my fangs so they wouldn't be a pain in your ass anymore."

Without answering him, I pounced, taking the pliers from my back pocket and pinning him down easily on the carpet. It was over in seconds, Jorge backing away to the other side of the room with blood spilling down his chin.

"Did you at least check to make sure no one would be looking for her before you gorged on her?" He shook his head fearfully. "Well, we won't need to worry about you making anymore fuck-ups for a year or so. Maybe by then you'll be able to control yourself a bit better. When you've stopped bleeding, call Maxwell and tell him he'll need to contact his friends at the blood bank for you."

I hunkered down in front of him; it's a blessing that vampires can't shit themselves. "You understand that by helping you procure bagged blood I'm being lenient? This is your first offence; make sure it's the last."

When I got outside, the woman who had been with Jorge was pacing the sidewalk and sobbing. I frowned. Mostly because this superhero gig was changing the way I reacted to things. I cleared my throat to get her attention.

"Are you finished your business now? My cell is flat and I need to use the phone for a cab."

"Jorge really isn't in the mood for further visits tonight. I can give you a ride to a bar or gas station and you can call a cab from there."

I could see she was wary, which was smart. "Thank you, I'd appreciate that. To be honest, I don't even know how I got here. One minute me and my sister were in a bar with that guy and then the next I'm alone with him, in his house, with his dick in my mouth. Did he drug me?"

I felt sorry for the poor girl, really I did. But when her sister's disappearance became apparent she would be able to identify Jorge. As much as he had brought this on himself, I couldn't allow it to get that far. When I caught her gaze I put her under my glamour, she would stay that way until she died and I found a fresh grave to hide her body in. The worst thing was, before I became Polaris, I wouldn't have felt sorry for her.