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The crash can be heard for blocks in every direction. A shattering, crunching impact, complete with broken glass and the sound of dented metal. The thump at the end of it echoes, too, the impact of a body smacking hard into a brick wall.
Superboy did not enjoy being hit by a car.
He'd been standing up to a local gangs, the Knives, a cutthroat band of vagabonds and punks who'd been hitting the streets pretty hard lately. Superboy didn't mind a bit of petty ante shit - rules were made to be broken after all. But terrorizing old ladies, stealing their government checks? Too far.
But the knives had heard about Superboy and set up an ambush. When he threatened to shut them down, one of them gunned in and hit him with the car. He left quite a dent in the wall.
But he was getting up.
*
Well. Starfire is certainly not in the part of town she was intending to be in. A few moments of distraction and instead of the library she has floated all the way into Hells Kitchen. Such are the perils of this strange Earth substance known as icecream. And when she comes round the corner as a car hits some poor young Earthling!
"Excuse me! Is everyone okay?" Kori wonders aloud, floating towards the commotion at quite a speed. Her white summer dress fluttering in the breeze. Of course she still has her alien attire on beneath and hey who has time to care about propriety when people could be hurt!
*
Superboy pushes himself back up to his feet, running a hand back through his hair. It wasn't really necessary - the amount of pomade he applies normally kept his hair largely in place, outside of a stray curl that falls across his forehead.
There's a grumble from the Knives as they start to pull their weapons - chains, switchblades, a lead pipe. There are about a dozen of them in all. Thankfully, firearms aren't yet prolific among the gangs here.
Superboy looks up at Starfire as she arrives and his blue eyes go wide, "Whoa! Damn, I ain't seen a damn like you around here before. Don't you worry yerself none, toots. Superboy's got this handled," he says, popping the collar on his leather jacket.
Then he gets hit in the head with a thrown brick.
*
Starfire glances around. "I am not sure what is going on here," she says calmly. "But someone could get very badly hurt. And I would like you all to stop now before I am forced to stop you." Her arms cross and she fixes everyone with a disapproving look. "Superboy? Are you the son of Superman? I have met him before, he was quite pleasant conversation."
*
Superboy wipes some brick dust out of his slick hair, "Son? Nah. Truth, that sucker's bitin' on my style, far as I'm concerned. He ain't got nothin' I ain't got," he says. Well, unless you counted heat vision and superspeed and a few other sundry powers.
Superboy leaps from his feet and flies forward, careening into the front ranks of the Knives. Some of the others shout at Starfire. Some of it's leering and a bit tawdry, some of its just downright "Freak!" and "Mutie!".
*
"You seem to have misunderstood my politeness," Starfire says, one of her hand flaring to life with glowing green energy. "When I said to stop. I meant /now/." She flicks her hand and a bolt of green energy slams into the trunk of the car and explodes with a boom that rocks the beaten up car. Something inside also catches fire and begins to smolder.
Before anyone in the gang has had time to fully process the explosion Kori has darted forward and grabbed one of the lengths of pipe in her other hand, bending it into a useless shape with her thumb. "I do not wish to hurt you. But if you continue to act this way I will ensure you are unable to attack anyone again." She scoops the thug with the ruined pipe up as if he was made of feathers and throws him into the loudest catcaller.
*
The catcaller takes his friend hitting him hard, going down in a heap. There's more yelling and chaos. Superboy hefts one of them up over his head and throws him into a nearby alley, landing in a heap in a dumpster.
The Knives are starting to get the sense that they might be in over their heads. Another blade breaks off on Superboy. One of them comes up behind Kori and swings a chain, trying to catch her off-guard. More than a few have already begun to run.
*
The chain lashes at Starfire, high enough to wrap around her neck, and the thug pulls tight. And nothing happens. He pulls harder, leaning back, and still nothing happens. "They do not seem very dangerous," she says, calmly reaching up and tearing the links apart. "Can you explain why they are attacking you? Is it simply because they are rude?" She spins and her leg scythes chain thugs legs out from under him with a sound like a snapping branch. He lands limply, one leg at an unhealthy angle. "Oops. Please forgive me. I was not expecting you to be so fragile!"
With the chain thug dealt with Kori floats closer to where Superboy is fighting, her hands flaring again with green energy. "I would strongly advise surrender. It is quite difficult to strike you without causing fatal injuries." The green energy brightens and even a few feet away there is an uncomfortable increase in temperature.
*
The Knives definitely see the writing on the wall. They may not be very bright, but they're getting their asses kicked and it's not even really close.
Superboy grasps one by the nape of the neck and flies into the air, dangling him. He's apparently the leader of the group, "Call 'em off, Butch! It ain't worth it," he says.
"Run boys runnnnnnnnn!" the buck-toothed gang leader calls.
"They ain't dangerous to us, but to the regular folks around here, they're a straight menace. I told 'em to lay off and they decided to test me."
*
Starfire frowns. "That is not very nice," she decides, giving the leader a stern look. "If you do not do what the Superboy has asked then I will take you and all of your friends to an unpopulated island. Then I will leave you there so you can not harm anyone else again." She throws both of the starbolts into the now empty car, each blasting a big chunk out and leaving it a smoking ruin. "Is that clear?"
"I think you may put him down now," Kori suggests, landing and casually picking the remains of the car up so she can put them somewhere out of the way. "You may call me Starfire if you wish. I am.. a mutant from out of town."
*
Superboy drops low enough to let Butch down. The beaver-faced punk starts to run, 'You freaks are crazy!" he yells, high-tailing it and trying to get the hell out of there, the rest of his boys quickly following in his wake.
Superboy grins as he descends, landing next to Kori, "Superboy, although you can call me Conner if ya want," he says. "Outta town, huh?" he says, raising an eyebrow. "Truth be told, I ain't real sure where I come from. Don't figure it matters much either."
*
"That is very rude," Starfire says with a huff. Her eyes flaring green for a moment and a line of green energy flashes just close enough to Butch to singe his hair. "Please consider being more polite in future."
And with that lesson in manners complete Kori turns back to Superboy. "You do not know where you came from? That is sad. I hope you are able to find out who your family are. It is always better to know where you are from, it makes it easier to understand where you wish to go." She sighs. "I hope we have not caused any lasting harm. I have never had to strike someone in anger before, I will have to better control myself."
*
Superboy grins and shrugs, "Ah, it ain't no thing. YOu didn't hurt him bad or anything," he says. "I've seen a lot worse, anyway," he says. He hasn't really, but it seems like a thing to say. Most of what Conner knows about interactions he gets from movies and TV and chicks seem to like tough guys who've seen stuff.
"I dunno, I ain't never needed no family," he says. "Just gettin' by on my own and stuff."
*
"His leg was bending in a place it would not normally bend," Starfire points out glumly, wiping at her neck to remove the grease and oil from the chain. "It is one thing to get by, but it is another to live. Does that make sense? It is something one of my tutors once said." She looks Superboy up and down. "Are you perhaps blessed by a Norse god? I have met a very strong friend who told me he had the power of someone called Thor. I do not know exactly how that works. Or if not you might be a mutant.. like I am."
"But still it is very nice of you to help the people of this area," Koriand'r assures earnestly. "Those who are strong should always try to help those who are not. It is only right."