X: Greener Grass
She is a shadow that passes through the world. Nobody notices her. This shouldn't be possible; she doesn't dress like the real humans. But still, they pass by her. Their eyes slide away from her as soon as they catch a glimpse.
The tiny purse swings at her side. It hits up against her hips with every step that she takes. She had considered locking it, but the pickpockets don't even know she is there.
Her footsteps make sound as her feet hit the linoleum floor of the subway station, but they do not echo. She knows through observation that this is unnatural. She remembers a woman in high heels brushing past her, elbowing her subconsciously. The woman's high heeled footsteps echoed: click—click—click... CLICK CLICK CLICK.
She doesn't bother to stop in one of the miniature concession stands. The hawkers won't notice her, no matter how many times she tries to get their attention. In her fantasies, Starfire would speak up for her, gaining the hawker's attention. Starfire would even resort to thumping her fist against their counter.
In reality, Starfire is probably searching Jump City for her.
This is the way she has wanted her life. All her life on earth, she has wanted to escape notice. She has wanted people to ignore her. She merely wanted to live and to let live.
Now she has what she wanted. This life, this hollow lie, is exactly how she always wanted. So why doesn't she like it?
Her hand fumbles inside the purse for a few bills as she comes to a stop in front of a family of vending machines. Though she withdraws only two dollars, she cannot help but notice that what once looked like a thick forest of green now looks like a dying garden.
She's running low on money. Soon enough, she won't be able to buy anything from the vending machines, much less a subway ticket.
On the other hand, it's not like she's got anywhere to buy a subway ticket to. She can't get a job. She doesn't want to steal. She's got nothing, really, except the tiny amount of cash that she'd stocked this purse with.
Robin should never have let her go undercover in New York City. Sure, he thought Titans East could take care of her.
But there's a reason Titans East is Titans East. They're on the side of the country with two of the biggest superheroes ever. They've got loads of backup, if they need it. And they will obviously need it at some point.
She selects the healthiest thing she can find from the vending machine with food. It isn't very healthy. She looks at the ingredients list in disgust.
Do they have any idea how many chemicals this is? It's completely synthetic!
She buys a bottle of water from the drink machine. So far, machines haven't begun to ignore her. She has no doubt that even they will soon. First it was sight-poor animals. Then it was people. Next, it will be machines.
There's a train ticket to Gotham that she can barely afford. If there's any place she wants to starve, it will be there, she decides when she buys it.