The Starling Saviour

Chapter 28

'I have my reasons,' I opposed him stubbornly. 'One of them being that I don't want to be involved in any more life threatening scenarios or problems with you, Oliver.'

'But that was the island,' Oliver said in a confused voice. 'How could I do anything to you in this city?'

'I... Don't know, but you will,' I stood my ground. 'Marcus helped me realise that.'

'Did... Sara survive after Ivo's freighter... Crashed?' Oliver asked with an ever so slight slither of hope. 'I know she isn't here now, but did she live for a little bit longer?'

'No,' I shook my head sadly. 'She died when you should have too.'

---

It wasn't until the next day that the Hood struck again.

The Hood was what the SCPD had started to call the new vigilante, but personally I preferred The Green Hooded Maniac.

I always knew when the Hood had attacked someone, for there was an arrow waiting on my desk to analyse. And every time I analysed an arrow, I got no information about the vigilante back.

'This time, the Hood attacked Martin Somers,' Lance explained to me. 'One of his employees saw it happen near Somers' docks last night.'

'Wait... You're talking about the same Martin Somers that is being taken to court for some guy's murder as we speak?' I asked in surprise.

Laurel Lance was fighting for justice over the death of the dock worker Victor Nocenti with his daughter Emily Nocenti, and Mr Somers was the top candidate for being guilty of this crime.

I liked to keep track of the news.

'Yes,' Lance answered. 'The guy my daughter wants to put away.'

Thinking about it, the first wealthy businessman the Hood had gone after had also been taken to court by Laurel. Was the Hood trying to... Help Laurel? Or was she just trying to testify against the most corrupt men in the city?

Whatever the case, Laurel was picking the right people to oppose.

I ran some more tests on the arrow, but I still found nothing. I knew there was nothing I really could do and I wasn't any results, but for some reason it felt routine. It was like I was involved in the Hood's movement, and I really wanted to be. I longed for my Vigilante days, but I knew if I went back to that world, I would lose Marcus. And my sanity.

Giving the arrow back to Lance with a heavy heart, he thanked me and set off to question Somers about the incident. Hopefully the Hood could keep his identity hidden for a bit longer, but I also really wanted to find out who this guy was.

What a city Oliver had returned to.

---

'Somers... Admitted to his crimes?' I asked in amazement. 'How did this... Happen?'

'The Hood happened,' Lance said bittersweetly. 'He left an arrow with a recording of Somers claiming he was the one that got Nocenti killed.'

Lance passed me the arrow to listen to the audio footage for myself, and, sure enough, Somers' voice was confessing to his times, loud and clear.