Happy Harbor
January 3,10:16 EDT
"Tell us how you came here," the man in black asks, trying to show no emotion.
I guess he hadn't seen me, running from our house, the girl on my hip and flames on my dress before I stomped them out. I saw him though, and some of the others behind him. The man in red, a demon who killed before his victims had time to blink. The one with the green skin, whose stare broke minds, and who could become monsters more horrible than anything I had ever imagined. There were others there, a girl who I would guess to be the daughter of the green-skinned one, based on her green skin, a small black-haired boy, a tall girl with yellow hair, one with red, one with darker skin than the others. One is tall and wears a crest I had hoped to never see again. I don't recognize them, but then again, they're only children.
"We did not mean to. We were leaving our own world, due to circumstances beyond our control." We were escaping. The palace burned. Our house burned.
He narrows his eyes, and leans forward slightly. Everything about his demeanor is a threat, and I'm more intimidated than I would like.
"Did these circumstances have anything to do with criminal behavior on your part?"
"No. There was a coup." It was an invasion. "Jarroc was searching for a better place to do his work." His sponsor is dead. The Court rules now, and there's no place for science in the Court's world.
"What is Jarroc's work?" The Fury is his work. You'll learn of it soon enough.
"He is a scientist. He does not experiment on living things." Yet.
"What is your relation to Jarroc and the girl you came with?" He makes a hand motion towards the door where I came in, and I straighten.
"Jarroc is my mate, and Liria is my daughter." I hope he understands that if she is forced to endure questioning such as this, I will kill him. If I hear her treatment has been any worse than mine since I was removed from her, I will kill him. Nothing bad will happen to her ever again. I won't let it.
"What is your name?"
"I am Meraga." And for three days your death has been the only thing I've wanted in this world.
"What is the name of the planet you are from?"
"We come from Rimbor." I watch him, waiting for his reaction. There is none. He moves on.
"Does your planet hold any hostility towards Earth?" Does he really not remember? Are attacks like the one on our planet so frequent that he doesn't even think of the lives he has destroyed?
"No." We didn't until you came.
"Do you or any of your companions hold any personal resentment towards Earth?" This is an important question, maybe the most important. His gaze becomes even more intense, and I feel as if he can see into my soul. I feel as if he'll know if I'm lying.
"No." Regardless of a scary gaze, I would never tell him the true answer to the question. I don't want to die. I don't want Liria to die.
"What was the name of your actual destination?"
"We were investigating our options when we crashed." A stupid question. Anyone would know that when you run from your home, you're running away, not to.
"Would you like to continue on, or stay here on Earth?"
"If it's alright, I think we would like to stay here." Before I'd thought I had no chance of revenge. If I stay here, I do.
"You are aware that your appearance may make it difficult to blend in with ordinary humans." I look around at the dull, limited colors of their hair and skin, and absentmindedly touch my hair beneath my veil. They don't dye their flesh. Huh.
"I am aware. If I was not, I could tell from looking at you." I raise a purple hand, forcing some humor into my voice and smiling a little bit.
The man in black does not laugh. Neither do the other two from the invasion. But I see one of the children snort, and another lets out a somewhat disturbing cackle. The others all seem to find my comment at least a little amusing, except for the one in black, with a crest I could never forget on his chest. Though I guess anyone who would proudly display it, after the monstrous things the other man did, wouldn't have a great sense of humor.
"Are you prepared for the challenges of blending in with a human community?" This is confusing to me. They wanted us to know who they were, wanted us to know that it was the Justice League that did this to us. That is an obvious warning sign of an invasion, the kind that involves killing everyone who opposes you, burning the city, and then enslaving the rest of the population to get whatever resource you began the invasion for. But they don't even seem to remember their victory, and from what I can tell, they don't have any slaves. Did they just kill everyone? What happened on Rimbor?
"There are no people who look like me here?"
"Earth is dominated by one intelligent species. For a long time, we had no idea that there was any other intelligent life. It was brought to our attention through numerous invasions, which were thwarted by the Justice League." Interesting. So, humans are vulnerable to attack, often invaded, and the members of this Justice League are their heroes. I wonder if the people know that the Justice League makes a habit of dropping by strange planets and slaughtering innocent people.
"People are wary of outsiders now," he said, glaring at me a bit. I guess "people" includes him.
"I am sure it shall not always be so. The people need time to adjust," the green-man says in a deep voice, which calms me despite the danger I know he poses. The man in black looks at him, his face unreadable.
"That may be so, but for now looking alien puts you in danger. People are scared. They want something to blame. And they'll blame anyone who isn't human. It doesn't matter what you've done. Merchants, refugees, even League members are treated," He pauses. "Harshly."
I nod, thinking. Maybe if I wash out the dye…
"Are there any humans with white skin?" I ask, and he raises an eyebrow.
"Albinos exist. Though I don't see how that would help your situation." I smile, truly this time. I love when people I hate are wrong.
"And are there ways to mimic your eye hair?" He looks at me strangely. "The hair, on your eyes, above your eyes."
"Eyelashes and eyebrows?" he asks. Do I look like I care what the eye hair is called?
"Yes, I guess so."
"Then yes, there are ways." I smile again.
"I will be fine." All of them look at me strangely, but the red one with lightning on his chest is the one who speaks up.
"Ma'am, your skin is blue." I glare at him. Does he think I'm stupid? Is he stupid?
"Right now, it is purple. It will not be when I wash the dye off." The same children who laughed before fight to keep the smiles off their faces. The man in red goes red under his mask, and the one in black seems to smile a bit at his embarrassment, though the expression is gone too fast for me to tell.
"Understood. We can get you and your family false identities, and move you into the city. You will be closely watched, to make sure you are not in danger." And to make sure we are not a danger is the unspoken truth. I think of something, then.
"Are there any jobs, where Jarroc could work from home? And not talk to people or write anything?" He thinks my request is funny. I can tell from the way he is frowning.
"I don't think so," he says. "Why do you ask?"
"I learned a variety of languages, because I was an attendant to a wealthy woman. She found it helpful in dealing with other species, and I was more than happy to comply because it's a useful skill and I love languages. As you might be able to tell, I speak the language that your Green Lanterns speak." He nods.
"Jarroc was a scientist. He didn't need to talk to people and he didn't like to." The man seems to understand what I am trying to say.
"He doesn't speak English," he says. I nod.
"Would he be open to having a translator insert?" That will be unbelievably helpful. So why is he doing it?
"Yes. Thank you so much." I think my interrogation is over. I think I've passed his tests. "Are we done?"
He gives a sharp nod. My body relaxes and I feel as if I'm about to smile. I make sure I do not.
"Then let me see my daughter."