The Starling Saviour

Chapter 29

'Hello,' I said as the door of the Queen mansion to a suited, poker-faced man who I took was security of some sort. 'I'm... Aria Coleman, I'd like to speak to-'

'Aria?' Oliver's voice came flooding down the hallway. 'Thanks, Diggle.'

The doorman just nodded, and left to another room.

'I thought you didn't want to see me?' Oliver asked in a confused tone.

'Well, it's not a matter of wanting to see you or not,' I rolled my eyes. 'I came to-'

'What a pleasant surprise,' Moira joined us, interrupting me as she decided to seek out the Queens' newest visitor. 'Come, sit.'

She gestured to the living room, me still being able to remember the layout of the mansion after six years.

'And what brings you here after all this time?' She asked me, her voice edging on the spiteful side.

I didn't blame her; the Queens had done so much for me when Merlyn first moved me to Starling City, before the island, and I had rudely ignored and avoiding them so I could live my life with Marcus instead. But part of me felt guilty and that, maybe, I had made a bad decision. Perhaps I was wrong about this family if I still had an underlying sense of empathy for them.

'I know I haven't exactly been... Close with you these past years,' I started as best as I could. 'But I just want to, on behalf of my colleagues, apologise for their behaviour earlier.'

Walter Steele had now joined Oliver, Moira and I, a welcoming look on his face.

'It's fine, Miss Coleman,' Walter smiled, somehow already knowing my name.

But practically everyone in Starling had heard of me at some point; I had been the missing girl Tommy had been so desperate to find.

'We know Detective Lance can be... Tense at times,' Moira acknowledged with a slight nod. 'But you have nothing to apologise for. He just wanted to find out who the shooter was, and his... History with my family got the better of him.'

'But he shouldn't be allowed to do this, Mrs Queen,' I argued with good intentions.

'You can call me Moira, Aria,' Moira added. 'And you shouldn't have to concern yourself with what your... Colleagues say.'

They were all so surprisingly cool about the whole incident.

'Then, that is very valiant of you, Moira, Mr Steele,' I addressed to them before standing up to leave the family in peace. 'And, thank you.'

'For what?' Walter asked in intrigue.

'For forgiving Lance,' I expanding upon my point. 'And me.'

---

I returned home to a worried Marcus, tensely waiting by the door.

'I'm so gl-glad you're okay!' Marcus hugged me at once, practically outside the apartment.

Why was he worried about me for the second time that day? Something definitely had triggered something in Marcus' brain.

'Are you alright Marcus?' I asked concernedly. 'I know it's half ten at night but I had extra work at the SCPD-'

I glanced over to the kitchen table, where many empty bottles lay untidily, not a drop of alcohol still in sight. Whatever Marcus had heard, it was bad. And apparently it was about me.

'I thought you'd dead,' Marcus slurred, stumbling as he tried to hold onto me tighter and tighter. 'I thought you were danger, because me. I could not face it.'

'I think you should sit down, Marcus,' I said firmly, guiding him to the chairs tucked towards the table.

'I cannot let you go,' Marcus shook his head like a stubborn toddler, ready to have a tantrum. 'They told me you'd dead. They told me-'

'You're drunk, Marcus,' I told him, emphasising each word so he understood. 'Calm down.'

'I don't care if I'm drunk!' He raised his voice. 'I need to protect. You!'

'From what?' I asked, trying to make sense of his utterances.

'The Yellow Man,' Marcus babbled on, picking up an empty beer bottle and swivelling it around. 'He's very quick. Very quick!'

'The Reverse Flash?' I suddenly realised.

Of course. It would be him. I was so stupid.

'Who's Rever Flash?' Marcus muttered.

'The man who threatened to kill me,' I said gravely.

Maybe Marcus would understand at least one thing I said.

'Why did you see Oliver?' Marcus changed the topic, much more seriously in a sad voice, as if his sober self was fighting it's way out. 'I told you not to.'

'Why do you think Oliver is a threat to me, Marcus?' I retaliated back. 'Nothing bad has happened to me when I have talked to him recently. And I'm alive.'

'But soon you won't be,' Marcus shook his head angrily. 'Oliver will get you kill! You'll dead!'

I guess I was wrong; Marcus was back to acting drunk. Angry drunk.

'This is my life!' I exclaimed. 'I can see whoever and do whatever, and you can't stop me.'

'I thought you agreed with me!' Marcus cried. 'I thought you agreed he was trouble!'

'That was until I realised you're wrong,' I stood up for myself.

But I couldn't argue with a drunk. Marcus wasn't in his right mind, and I couldn't let our relationship go into ruin whilst he was intoxicated.

'I think we should talk in the morning,' I proposed in an attempt to calm Marcus down.

'No!' He attempted to stop me taking him from his chair by gripping on my arms, but his hands slipped down my arms like butter.

As I helped Marcus get to bed, I ran the things he had told me through my mind. So The Reverse Flash had taken action, threatening my boyfriend in some way. And Marcus, like The Reverse Flash, still didn't want me to see Oliver. I wasn't going to get much else out of him until morning, but I knew something had definitely upset Marcus for him to get as drunk as he did.

I just hoped I could stop The Reverse Flash from striking again before it was too late.