The knock on Hikaru's door came just as he finished reviewing combat footage from his fight with Deathstroke. He glanced up from his tablet, expecting Gar with another gaming challenge or Wally looking to raid someone's snack stash.
Instead, Starfire floated in—literally, her feet hovering inches above the floor as she drifted into his room with that unconscious grace that made him smile.
"Hey, Kory." He set the tablet aside, giving her his full attention. "What's up?"
She descended, her boots touching down, as her hands clasped behind her back. The gesture was almost shy, which was unusual for someone who approached most things with enthusiastic directness.
"I have been researching Earth customs," she began, her emerald eyes bright with determination. "There is a tradition called a 'date' for romantic partners?"
Hikaru bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to laugh at the way she phrased it like she was presenting findings from a scientific study. God, she's adorable.
"Yeah," he managed, keeping his voice steady. "That's a thing."
"Would you accompany me on such an outing?"
The hopeful expression on her face made something warm bloom in his chest. Here was an alien princess who'd conquered her trauma, fought monsters, and saved cities—asking him out with the earnest excitement of someone discovering something wonderful and new.
"Of course." He stood, moving closer to her. "I don't know how I haven't asked you sooner."
Her entire face lit up, practically glowing with joy. "Yes!" She bounced slightly on her toes before catching herself, though her smile remained incandescent.
Hikaru couldn't help but smile back, feeling the warmth of her happiness like sunlight on his skin.
The carnival sprawled across Jump City's waterfront, a riot of lights and noise that painted the evening sky in neon colors. Music blared from competing attractions, the scent of popcorn and cotton candy thick in the air.
Starfire stood at the entrance, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in the chaos of Earth entertainment. She'd changed into casual clothes—jeans and a purple crop top that Donna had helped her pick out—but her innate otherworldliness still drew eyes. The way she moved, the brightness of her smile, and the sheer presence she carried.
"This is for enjoyment?" She watched a screaming group of teenagers plummet down a drop tower ride. "They appear to be in distress."
"That's kind of the point." Hikaru guided her forward with a hand on the small of her back. "Controlled fear. Adrenaline rush. It's fun."
"Curious." She tilted her head, considering. "On Tamaran, we achieve adrenaline through combat training. This seems less practical."
"Yeah, but nobody gets punched in the face at a carnival." He paused. "Usually."
They wandered through the grounds, Starfire stopping at nearly every attraction to ask questions or marvel at the mechanics. She squealed with delight at the funhouse mirrors, laughed at the strength-testing hammer game, and watched the carousel horses with genuine fascination.
At a ring toss booth, Hikaru noticed her eyeing a stuffed caterpillar hanging among the prizes that gave him a strange sense of deja vu.
"You want that?"
"It is very... rotund." She looked almost embarrassed. "And soft-appearing."
"Say no more." He stepped up to the counter, fishing out cash.
Three attempts later, the bored attendant still looked smug as Hikaru's rings bounced off the bottles. The game was rigged—he knew that—but he wasn't about to give up with Starfire watching.
On the fourth try, he focused. Nothing obvious, just the slightest pulse of light to adjust the ring's trajectory mid-flight.
Perfect landing.
The attendant's smugness evaporated as Hikaru pointed at the white and pink caterpillar. Moments later, he presented it to Starfire with an exaggerated bow.
"For you, princess."
She clutched the caterpillar to her chest, her smile brighter than any carnival light. "I shall treasure him always." She paused. "What shall I name him?"
"That's all you, Kory."
"Hmm. I shall call him... Silkie."
It was then that Hikaru realized where the deja vu came. Starfire seemed to have a pet with a similar name in show.
He laughed. "Silkie the caterpillar. Perfect."
They rode the bumper cars next—Starfire's competitive nature emerging as she gleefully rammed into other vehicles with perhaps more force than strictly necessary. Then the roller coaster, where her delighted screaming drowned out everyone else's fear.
As the sun set, painting the sky in oranges and purples, Hikaru nodded toward the Ferris wheel. "One more ride?"
The wheel lifted them slowly, the carnival shrinking below as they rose. Starfire pressed against the window, Silkie tucked under one arm as she watched the lights spread out beneath them.
"This is wonderful," she breathed. "All of it."
Hikaru watched her instead of the view, taking in the way the fading light caught her hair, the joy radiating from her like warmth. "Yeah. It really is."
She turned to him, something soft in her expression. "Thank you for—"
The Ferris wheel lurched to a sudden stop.
They paused at the apex, the cabin swaying slightly. Below, screams erupted—not the playful kind from the rides, but genuine terror.
"Oh, come on," Hikaru muttered, leaning to look down.
The carnival had erupted into chaos. Playing cards the size of dinner tables flew through the air, slicing through game booths. Civilians dove for cover as magician's props—top hats, wands, rabbits—animated and attacked with malicious intent.
At the center of it all stood a figure in a purple tuxedo and theatrical top hat, cape swirling as he gestured dramatically. His face was painted in exaggerated stage makeup, and his laugh carried across the grounds like a manic conductor.
"Mumbo Jumbo," Hikaru identified, already moving toward the cabin door. "Magic-based villain. Treats everything like a stage show."
Starfire's expression shifted from wonder to frustration in an instant. "Can we not have ONE evening?"
Despite the situation, Hikaru laughed. "Welcome to hero life."