The Starling Saviour

Chapter 39

And then something amazing happened.

My body suddenly fought off the substance injected in me, my legs gaining mobility again and my senses alert once more. I swung my fists at both of the men behind me, rendering them unconscious. Picking up my gun I had dropped during my fall, I shot the two ringleaders back, this time aiming accurately.

The vigilante gave me an appreciative nod as he grabbed his bow and arrows from the far side of the room, finally at one with his weapons.

'Thank you,' he said, bowing his head slightly. 'I let this gang torture me when I could have so easily stopped them. I was foolish today. But you saved me.'

'No problem,' I nodded back, trying to mask my voice from him under my scarf I had tied across my mouth.

As the Hood stared at me, I felt as though he suddenly recognised me, his head slightly tilting in realisation.

'Aria?' He said, his voice higher and demeanour gentler.

'How- how do you know my name?' I exclaimed, being as indiscreet as I could.

He quickly turned away, ashamed at his announcement.

'Who are you?' I asked in confusion, taking my scarf off from around my mouth.

All I got was silence.

'Please, just, tell me,' I requested. 'It seems pretty fair, since you know who I am.'

Slowly, the Hood turned back around, his face exposed and still stuck in shock. Instead of the face of a stranger, I was staring at a very familiar one.

Oliver Queen was stood before me.

'Oliver?' I gasped, stumbling backwards. 'You- you're- how?'

But before he could say anything, he collapsed to the ground.

---

I fumbled for the brakes as I swerved across the road, the police vehicle's long time in service causing it to halt unexpectedly, the worn tires giving me hardly any friction as we slid across the rainy road, gaining motion of the car again. It felt like a bad water slide, getting stuck at every kink and suddenly shooting down the surface for a few seconds.

'We're nearly at the hospital,' I shouted to the back seats of the car, where Oliver lay partially unconscious.

'No,' Oliver groaned back as quickly as he could. 'I can't go there.'

'Then where can you go?' I asked, puzzled. 'You need to get some help!'

'It'll expose my identity,' he pointed out. 'Drive me to my club.'

'Which hasn't been completed yet?' I added, confusion taking over me. 'You want me to drive you to... A building site?'

'Just, listen to me, Aria,' Oliver instructed firmly.

'Okay then,' I raised my eyebrow at him and accelerated away from Oliver's recovery.

As I pulled up outside the site, a tall, burly figure joined us at the car. For some reason, Oliver's bodyguard had decided to join the party.