Confused Compassion

"Sure.", someone said, and Lauren was quickly caped in a large towel. It was a bit stiff, and certainly not fresh, but she was grateful nonetheless.

"Well, I thank you fine citizens, but I must be on my way. I'll be sure to wash and return your towel."

"Don't worry about that, it's just the dog's towel.", a woman explained.

"Oh...thanks.", Lauren blushed, a pretty pathetic cape for the number-one crime fighter in the city.

"But who are you?"

"You don't know? I'm the Emerald Goddess!"

The crowd just looked on in confusion.

Lauren looked down, the heroic pose she had assumed, chest out, hands on hips, perfectly showcase her lack of curves and bulging buddha belly.

She blushed, covering with her hands, "Well, I know I don't look it now."

"No kidding.", one of the women sniped.

"She must be.", interjected the teen boy, "She fell at least 300 feet, she must be superpowered."

"One of those superheroes?"

As if with its own intelligence the radio switched from country to a news bulletin.

The Scorpion Queen had escaped and The Emerald Goddess had gone missing.

"Wow, I've never met a superhero before!", an older man thundered.

"Isn't that Emerald Goddess the one you have a crush on, Bobby?"

"N-no.", stammered the boy.

"Oh, sure it is!, the older woman insisted, though she certainly looks...different. I guess she won't be your crush much longer!", the family laughed.

"Please, before you go, a picture!"

"Well...I really am not...", Lauren argued.

"Nonsense, just a few pictures, after all, we did give you that towel!"

Soon Lauren was smushed between a rotating group of men with arms on her naked shoulders, back, waist, dancing oh so close to her private holy of holies.

She swallowed and gulped.

Looking more like a little kid playing dress up in her towel cape than the actual Emerald Goddess she had been Lauren looked to the wooden gate to escape, on foot, back to her apartment.