The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 32

'I'm impressed,' Merlyn said as I sustained more and more hot water on my callous, tough hands. 'Our training has paid off.'

'It doesn't help with the pain from Eddie and Anna,' I said subjectively. 'You said it would help me fight my emotions. That it would help me with my mind.'

'I said that pain was inevitable,' Merlyn said.

'But you said that suffering is optional,' I contradicted him. 'And I'm still suffering.'

'We can move on to other techniques if you want to,' Merlyn suggested. 'I think we've done enough of the first test. And although it's making you feel less physical pain, it's not helping you with emotional pain.'

'No kidding,' I commented sarcastically. 'But, thank you for helping me with all... this. Although my emotional pain still hasn't gone, these tests do help me take my mind off... things for a moment. And the hot water has made me stronger, regardless of what I feel towards my past relationships.'

'Don't thank me, Aria,' Merlyn said. 'Thank yourself. Look what you can do when you realise your inner strength!'

---

Making myself a cup of tea Merlyn had kindly sort out for me after not being able to get hold of a decent teabag ever since I arrived in America, Tommy joined me in the kitchen to get something to eat.

'Do you want a cup of tea?' I asked Tommy. 'Or coffee? If that's what you prefer-'

'No thanks, I'm fine,' Tommy said. 'And, that's not why I'm here.'

'Why are you here, then?' I asked, feeling like I had missed something he'd said.

After a few moments of silence, Tommy decided to cut to the chase.

'So, there's a... Charity Event at the Oliver's house, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me,' Tommy requested. 'As my... plus one.'

'Why me?' I asked, puzzled. I know we lived in the same household, but we weren't exactly best friends.

'Well, because you... like art, and they've auctioning art off in the event,' Tommy explained. 'And I've seen you with your sketch book. You don't exactly hide your hobbies.'

I was surprised he'd even remembered that. He clearly wanted to be friends with me, but I still felt like he wasn't telling me the whole story.

'Why really?' I asked knowingly.

'Because Oliver wants to meet you-' Tommy said quickly before realising his mistake. 'Sorry, he, er, wanted me to bring someone along he hadn't met yet. And he had seen you at the SCPD and wondered who you were.'

Why did Oliver Queen want to meet humble, little me? It didn't make sense. Yes, he had seen me at work briefly, but Tommy must have mentioned me in conversation for Oliver to want to meet me.

'Okay, then,' I agreed.

It wouldn't hurt to get to know Oliver, the best friend of the guy I was supposed to be protecting. I needed to make connections with people too, and this Art Charity Event would be the perfect way to.

---

Back at work, I peered into the high-tech, Merlyn-funded microscope to verify my findings on the newest murder case in Starling. There seemed to be a lot of murder, the Glades, the roughest district of the City, being the one with the highest death rates. The addition of poverty and homelessness didn't help either.

'The blood sample matches a man named Evan Arkwright,' I told Simon as I looked at both microscope and the genetic fingerprints of the suspects. 'Unless he has an identical twin or something.'

'He actually does,' Simon slightly surprised me. 'Ned Arkwright, a notorious killer living in The Glades. And the police force never seem to catch him. Unsurprisingly.'

'You don't like the officers, do you?' I picked up at his remarks.

'Well, Starling has always been renowned for its high crime rate,' Simon commented. 'And the cops haven't really done anything to stop it from happening. They just get... in the way.'

'So they don't catch any criminals?' I asked.

'No, they do,' Simon said. 'Just not the dangerous ones, like Arkwright. And they gave the capability if doing awful things and getting away with it. I sometimes wish I could just stop the criminals and actually make a difference to the City.'

Didn't we all.

'Do you want me to put forward the Arkwright brothers as possible suspects?' I asked Simon after a while.

'I'll put a word in to Detective Hilton that we have two guys to arrest,' Simon said. 'All the evidence fits. I think we may have our criminals.'

'So, why do they never get locked up if they've been suspects for past crimes?' I wondered perceptively. 'The Arkwrights?'

'They are very... skilled at covering up their tracks,' Simon explained. 'Even though it's seemed that the crimes have been committed by other suspects, I just... know that they've to blame. It's too coincidental. And I intend to catch them. Someday.'

'I'll help you,' I proposed. 'I hate to see injustice, and people get away with awful things. It seems pretty likely to be them to blame for this particular crime, too.'

'Its settled, then,' Simon announced. 'We are going to make the Arkwright brothers pay for their crimes!'