Koriand'r tugged at the hem of her new top. The baby blue t-shirt felt snug on her frame and she had to keep adjusting it each time the material rode up along her midriff as she walked. Elijah had apologized in advance, having guessed on appropriate sizes for the alien woman and knowing most options weren't likely to fit properly. While the items he had called jeans seemed to fit relatively well, the strange articles of clothing that were meant to be worn under the outer garments were causing the usually cheerful alien to frown.
Shifting somewhat uncomfortably for the hundredth time since changing into these Earth clothes, Koriand'r spoke. "You are sure I am dressed correctly?"
The teenaged boy walking several steps ahead of her looked back over his shoulder. His eyes quickly glanced up and down, taking in her appearance, before averting his gaze abruptly.
"Uh, yeah. It's definitely right on you." Elijah told her, "I mean, they're on right. And you look good. Normal. I meant you look normal. Or about as normal as you can when you're nearly six feet tall with bright red hair that reaches your ankles. Not to mention the skin..."
She seemed to pay no mind to Eli's comments on her features, instead once more pulling the shirt back down over her bellybutton. "Then I respect the women of this planet greatly for enduring such uncomfortable conditions."
At the thought of uncomfortable conditions, Koriand'r's mind drifted momentarily. The image of her escape pod surrounded her, the incessant dull tones of the emergency alarms reverberating around the small, metal sphere. The endless black outside the viewpoint broken up every so often by distant flashes of white had been the only sign the pod was still moving forward. The stuffy heat and poorly recycled air seeming to cling to her more heavily over time.
"We're almost there." Eli's voice said from up ahead.
The now familiar sound broke the girl from her memories. Her cheerful smile once more returning as she skipped forward to match Elijah's pace.
"Remind me again where it is you are taking me?"
"Mainly, I just wanted you to walk through some more populated areas to see how much you stood out. If everyone's always staring at you then it'd be hard to do anything worthwhile. But aside from the typical looks girls like you get, doesn't seem like anyone really pays any close attention to you."
Koriand'r tilted her head inquisitively. "Girls like me?"
Eli afforded her another glance before continuing. "But, I figure since we're out here already and things seem to be going fine, that I might as well show you around the types of places I was planning on patrolling. I'm kinda winging this stuff, but I think it's best to stay out of the public eye. Stick to isolated areas with lots of alleys to avoid being seen.
"Probably means we'll be stuck handling petty crime, but whatever." He added. "It's still good work and if we stop even just one mugging I'll be proud. I'm just sorry that this might be a waste of your, uh, talents."
"Do not fret, Elijah. I am happy to be of assistance." Koriand'r rested a hand on his shoulder. "You have treated me very well and I wish to repay your kindness. Admittedly, I also wish to spend more time outdoors and to see more of your world."
Eli gave half a chuckle. "Yeah, I bet. You've been cooped up so long, first in space and now in the warehouse, I'd want to get out, too, if I were you."
Her smile nearly faltered as Eli's words threatened to recall those memories once more. "Yes... I think I prefer the outside."
* * *
Koriand'r kept her head on a constant swivel as Eli led her further into the city. Each new and strange aspect of this world caught her attention and several times her guide stopped and waited for her to continue moving on. Unlike her homeworld, most of what she had seen of this planet so far was developed. So little natural world was noticeable as their journey brought them deeper into the borough. Even the sky was tinged with signs of pollution; the normal light blues that were most prominent during these afternoon hours were streaked with dull greys and pale whites, which made for a stark contrast to Tamaran's own clear horizon.
She was unsure if she was sadder from this realization or more in awe at humanity's industrialization. Either way, Koriand'r had much to keep her thoughts preoccupied as they traveled. Be it the odd, combustion-based vehicles that ferried humans across the ground, the communication devices that seemed to be sources of addiction for most passing by, or the various aromas originating from carts on the street that kept causing her stomach to growl.
Earth cuisine, Koriand'r had experienced, was very rich in taste. Elijah had provided the alien refuge with several delicacies the past week, though she found herself favoring one far above the others. While the dishes known as pizza and fried chicken had been delicious, it was the instant ramen noodles that had captivated Koriand'r's tastebuds. She had been hesitant to ask for more after first savoring the meal as she knew something that satisfying must be expensive, and she had no desire to cause her new friend trouble, but Eli had insisted on bringing her ramen once a day since then.
Her chest warmed as she considered her good fortune. Perhaps most humans were kind, Koriand'r couldn't yet be sure, but instinct told her Elijah was special. She would never take for granted the level of compassion, generosity, and respect he had shown. His acceptance of a stranger, let alone a visitor from another solar system, had been extraordinary. After having been trapped in a metal cage hurtling through space for so long, being greeted by a welcoming individual had been a relief. Koriand'r had little doubt that, had Eli not been there during her landing, she could very well have found herself in a dangerous and stressful position. Elijah's genuine kindness notwithstanding, his role of guide in this strange, new world was also very appreciated.
"Starfire," Eli called out to her, using the English transliteration of her name. "We're here. Or, at least, the first stop."
Koriand'r took in her surroundings. The pedestrians they had walked amongst on their journey had gradually thinned out over the last twenty minutes, and now there was no sign of another living being around. The state of disrepair reminded her of the docks where Eli had provided a temporary home for her. Both had various one and two-story buildings lining the streets that were, for the most part, abandoned. Windows partially boarded up, brick walls marked with colorful words and pictures, often of graphic nature. Weeds and roots erupted from the concrete sidewalks. It looked to her as if this area had been partially forgotten to time.
"This is the meatpacking district," Eli offered up as an explanation. "It's just this small section that looks like this. Most of the rest of it, especially when you get up towards Eighth Avenue, is actually pretty nice. For a while, it used to all be pretty shit, but about twenty-five years ago they started renovating it all. Then a decade ago things really got serious, and if you head just half-a-dozen blocks in either direction it all gets pretty high-end."
He gestured towards the closed businesses before them. "This is really the last of what remains of all the seediness. Bunch of run-down butcheries, failed nightclubs, and the occasional adult store that's still in operation. Though, I think most of them are probably just prostitution rings if you ask me."
Koriand'r simply nodded enthusiastically, her near-permanent smile still etched upon her face as she absorbed all of this information. Most of it she grasped, though she was uncertain how feces could be seen as 'pretty'.
"And this is a place of reprehensible crime, yes?" She asked.
"Honestly?" Eli shrugged. "Probably not. Mostly just junkies here, I'd imagine. Maybe squatters. This is the lowest priority spot I'd want to patrol, really, but I thought it'd be a good introduction for you. Didn't want to start you off with anything too crazy, you know?"
Koriand'r didn't know, but she agreed nonetheless.
"Take a look around, though. Get a lay of the land."
Nodding, she lightly pushed off the ground and began to rise. Her long hair flowed behind her as she cleared the tops of the buildings, seeming to almost shimmer. From her vantage point, Koriand'r could see some distance away. She noticed, just as Eli had described, that not too far away the desolate streets turned into bustling centers of activity. As she climbed slightly higher in the air, something caught her eye. Some movement behind one of the abandoned structures from her peripheral, the vaguely recognizable shapes masked by shadow. She drifted closer, and she could hear Eli below her warning not to go too far.
"Elijah," she called down.
"Yeah?"
"I believe I have seen someone. But..."
"But what?"
Koriand'r hesitated. "Do humans often move through solid objects?"
"Uh, say again?" Eli cupped a hand to his ear, unsure he had heard the airborne woman correctly from his position on the ground.
"If I am not mistaken, I witnessed someone step through a wall and—" Koriand'r cut off abruptly as another shape drew her attention. "Oh, two more are approaching now."
Eli began to step into the alleyway above which Koriand'r was floating. He may be improvising his vigilante plan, but the young man was fairly sure strangers lurking about and displaying potential metahuman powers was a sign of something to come.
"There is a fourth individual now," Koriand'r continued narrating the events as she spied them from a distance. "This one is moving very silently. His stealth technique reminds me of the Okaaran—" Once again she cut off mid-sentence, this time her body stiffening.
"What is it, Starfire?" Elijah's pulse quickened as he noticed her tense up.
"The silent one has assaulted another, what looks to be a child. Elijah, I..."
He didn't wait for her to finish. "Go! I'll catch up."
Koriand'r hesitated, wondering if perhaps she had misinterpreted the events. She was still very much ignorant to Earth customs, and if she were wrong...
Her eyes focused on the now crumpled body of the child on the ground. A young boy who looked to be of similar age to her brother. Two of the other three figures she had previously spotted were standing over him discussing something. The first individual she had seen vanish into a wall still unaccounted for.
"Starfire, go!"
Eli's words broke through Koriand'r's doubt, and she balled her hands. She rocketed forward, the earlier shimmering appearance of her hair giving way to a blazing trail as the energy she channeled flowed out of her unregulated.
She was still more than a hundred feet away, and two dozen in the air, when the first figure returned. Koriand'r had almost missed them as she was focused on the unconscious boy.
"Hey! Hey, you! Get away from him!" The figure called out towards the two assailants.
The man who had moved swiftly without sound earlier whirled around to face the newcomer. He barely seemed to give any consideration to the words as he was already raising his right hand, extending his palm forward. Then, without warning, a blast of red energy erupted forth and consumed the would-be intervener. The beam collided with the wall, instantly melting the brick as if it had been wax. When the energy dissipated, there was nothing remaining of the figure, not even a hint of clothing.
No! Koriand'r's rage echoed in her mind, and she pushed herself forward with intensity, willing herself faster.
She closed the gap within a second, colliding with the powered individual and knocking him off his feet. His partner, another man, screamed and scrambled backward. Koriand'r remained floating several feet off the ground, staring heatedly at the man she just witnessed commit murder.
"You will stand down and surrender this instant." Her eyes glowed a fierce green as she pointed an accusatory finger at him.
The man rolled over, clutching his sore back, as he returned the stare up at his attacker. "No. I don't think I will."
Left-arm thrusting forward with unexpected speed, another burst of red energy launched out, this time completely enveloping Koriand'r.
Maneuvering through the back alleys less than two hundred feet away, Elijah Bradley heard the pained shouting of his friend and urged his body to run faster, desperate to reach her in time.
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