Avoiding the SCPD some more, I made my way to the apartment. It was still 3pm, but I had nothing to do. I had planned to get a coffee at SC Jitters in the mall, but there was no hope in getting back in there.
Twirling the Vigilante's card around in my hand, I read the details listed on it. It was a business card for some Sports Centre in the Glades. Strange place for a Vigilante to be hanging about.
Putting the card away in my purse, I sighed as I thought about what had happened at the mall. Seeing all those people in danger, who could have left many more people in mourning if I or the Vigilante hadn't had stepped in, made me think about my choices. My life.
And that made me think of how harsh I had been to Laurel. Yes, she had been rude to me when initially learning that her boyfriend that cheated on her with me, but it wasn't her fault. We needed to stick together, against Tommy. We were friends, not foes.
Catching up on the newest Doctor Who series, I watched the TV until the clock turned to 6pm. Now was my chance. Now I could see Laurel and make amends with her.
---
'Aria,' Laurel said, partially shocked, as she opened the door to me. 'You came!'
'I wanted to accept your offer,' I said awkwardly, trying my best not to mess anything up. 'I've come to apologise. I was out of line. I should have realised that the biggest culprit here isn't you. It's Tommy. He hurt us both, and we need to stick together. I'm really sorry, Laurel.'
Well that went much better than I expected.
'I didn't think you'd actually come,' Laurel admitted after a long silence. 'And I accept your apology. But we were both wrong, not just you, Aria.'
'But I was the one who nearly stopped us being friends again,' I dwelled, upset. 'And, after thinking about... Things, I've come to realise that I should be giving back to people. You've all helped me this week, and so I should return the favour.'
'I'm glad we're friends,' Laurel smiled, hugging me. 'You're my best friend, Aria. When you were missing, I really, really missed you.'
'It's a good job I came back, then!' I laughed, sitting down next to Laurel.
'Did you hear about the mall?' Laurel asked me as we started to get into conversation about current affairs.
'What... Happened?' I asked awkwardly, trying to cover up my role in the scene.
But Laurel might have already known I was there. The whole of Starling might have known.
'Some members of a gang were found there,' Laurel explained. 'It was strange- they were all tied up, when the SCPD had received a call about people being held hostage! Some witnesses told the cops about what happened; apparently the Vigilante and some girl saved them.'
'The Vigilante?' I repeated, trying to seem the slightest bit surprised. 'Did he... Save people, then?'
'He saved twenty people!' Laurel exclaimed. 'But, for some reason, that girl the witnesses were talking about, she's not on any CCTV cameras, and there's no way of tracing her. It's like she disappeared.'
How had the Vigilante erased me from all the footage? I was glad of his assistance, but it just made the police suspicious. Hopefully they wouldn't be able to track it down to me.
---
Turning the Vigilante's card in my hand once again, I kept thinking about his offer. Should I take it? Or should I concentrate on my conquest first? It was obvious Isaac and Elliot wanted to fight injustice, just like me, but were they ready? They didn't know how to defend themselves in the slightest, let alone fight. They needed training; training that the Vigilante could give them.
Finding that Isaac and Elliot were still not back from work, I decided to make my way to the address written on the card.
'Wildcat Gym,' I read the sign aloud as I hopped out of the cab I was travelling in.
Paying the driver and making my way towards the entrance of the building, I tried to focus; I needed to find the Vigilante. But how? Would he appear to me in the gym, or did I have to wait outside? It was all too confusing.
I waited. And waited. But no one came. Guess I had to actually go into the gym then.
Strolling through the automatic double doors of the foyer, I was met with a overwhelming sensation of stuffy, warm air and the stench of sweat running down overworked bodies. Most of the people in the gym seemed rather confrontational so I tried to avert my eye contact from anything that had legs. To say I had faced things beyond imagination on the Island, I could still get scared by a few angry looking fitness freaks.
Walking up to the desk in the middle of the foyer, I was met by a young receptionist who seemed as if he was using the gym merely as a weekend job.
'Wildcat Gym,' he said monotonously, his voice clearly reflecting his boredom. 'Are you a member?'
'No,' I shook my head.
'Do you want to join?' He asked before I could say anything else.
'Yeah,' I decided after a few seconds of deliberation.
The gym was a great way to get back to fighting standard after not having to fight to survive everyday. And if I wanted to be able to defend the city from criminals, especially Merlyn, I needed to be at the top of my game. I needed to be the best.
'What classes do you want to take?' The boy asked, handing me a form.
There was the normal gym, swimming, and even yoga, but what caught my eye was boxing. I did need some sort of self defence class, and boxing was the only one that really offered this.
'You'll have one to one lessons with one of the instructors each week,' the boy explained, entering stuff into the computer in front of him. 'You need to complete the form and pay and then you're officially a member.'
Taking the form back, I filled in the necessary bits of information and decided to do the classes on a Monday. I might as well get the first class over and done with as soon as possible.
---
'Where have you been?' Isaac demanded and I slipped back into the apartment after an hour's detour through the heart of the Glades.
'Sorry, I was busy with... Stuff,' I lied sheepishly, trying to cover up my whole encounter with the Vigilante. 'Why, what's the matter?'
'Well, while you were off doing 'stuff', we were worried sick about you!' Isaac exclaimed in a nervous fit.
'Why would you be... Worried about me?' I asked confusedly.
'The mall!' Isaac exclaimed.
'Why did you think I was there?' I said, failing miserably at covering the truth.
'Stop, Aria,' Elliot rolled his eyes. 'We know you were there. Some mysterious girl who just happened to be there, ey? We know that you can fight, you told us!'
'You're making pretty big assumptions,' I said with a nervous laugh
The boys just raised their eyebrows at me.
'Okay, okay, maybe I was there,' I owned up. 'But you can't tell anyone! Not even the SCPD! The Vigilante took me off the CCTV for a reason. I don't want to be found out.'
'You spoke to the Vigilante?' Elliot suddenly exclaimed in excitement. 'What did he say?'
'Just that he wanted me to... Join his team!' I said in joy, my excitement taking over me.
I really did want to be in his team, I did, it was just that I wanted to carry out my own crusade, not someone else's.
'Then what are you waiting for?' Isaac asked me straightaway. 'We could join forces with him! And he could teach us a thing or two; I don't even know how to throw a straight punch!'
'Are you sure?' I asked earnestly. 'I thought you wanted to be a group, just the three of us.'
'I do,' Isaac nodded.
'We both do,' Elliot interjected. 'But if you want to work with him, then do. You're the one who wanted to be here the most, who took charge and went for what you wanted. Now it's your turn to complete your mission.'
Why did everything have to be so hard? I couldn't decide myself, and when I wanted some guidance, I didn't get it. I needed one of the boys to tell me what to do for once, or at least a direct decision from them.
'I think I'll accept his offer,' I decided after much deliberation. 'But only for now. Once you both can at least fight. Then I might resume my wishes.'
The boys smiled at each other, as if they had planned this all along. They wanted to beg to know the Vigilante, they wanted to learn how to fight. But, like me, they wanted revenge on Merlyn. Maybe the Vigilante could help us in our crusade if we helped him in his.
Mr Vigilante here we come.