Hey guys! Sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. I've had some big family things recently and I haven't had much time or motivation for writing, but I'm back now! I'll be able to update more often. Enjoy the chapter!
A month later Alex had settled into a daily routine. She worked six nights a week at Verdant, Saturday was her day off, and trained during the day every day. Alex would wake up each morning and have breakfast before going to train with the Arrow. She still didn't know who he was, but she had learned that there were more people who worked with him, although she had never met them or even heard their names. After training Alex would have lunch and sleep until she had to get up to get ready for work. She'd shower and have dinner and then after working she would eat a snack and go to sleep. During the day she also had some time to go on walks or hang out with Roy, Sin, or sometimes even Thea, who she had started to get along with.
Today was a Saturday and Alex had already met up with the Arrow and Roy to train. She was reflecting on her schedule as she walked down a street. It was different than most yet it still felt mundane despite all her strange habits. Alex sighed and thought about calling Roy to ask when she could go out and get into a real fight. She decided to do it later. She was on her was to the cemetery just like every Saturday since her family had been buried. Or since what was left of them had been buried.
There was a section of the cemetery that was devoted to the five-hundred and three lives that the Undertaking had claimed. There weren't many people in this part of the cemetery that day. Alex headed directly for two tombstones: a large one that marked the graves of her parents, and a smaller one where her brother was buried.
"Hey, Joey," she said, sitting on the ground near the graves. "The Arrow finally let me start working with real swords this week. I'm using katanas. You'd think they're awesome, and they really are. They're long and heavy but have great control when you know how to handle them. This wasn't what I was expecting to be doing, you know? I used to think I'd be spending the next few years just studying and now I'm getting ready to become a vigilante. It's weird but it feels right somehow," she sighed and stared at the dates on his grave for a moment. They were only sixteen years apart. "I remember you never knew what you wanted to be. You were worried about that. I had know for my whole life what I'd be and you didn't have a clue. But look at me, the vigilante to be. Well, you'd be proud, but would they?"
Alex turned to look at her parents' graves. The question had been genuine but no one was there to answer. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry that I'm not what you wanted me to be. I wanted it, too, you know. I think sometimes you thought that I was just doing it all for you, but I did it for me, too. And now you're gone and I want this and there's no one else to do anything for but myself. I don't have the money anymore, anyway. My grief took all my money."
Alex stood up quickly, not wanting to continue talking about that part of the past. It hurt for her biggest dream to have crashed and burned like it had. Still, she had found a point for her life, and she hoped that that would have been enough for her parents. She hurried from the cemetery and headed for Roy's house, eager to take her mind off of the past.
Alex knocked on Roy's door and a moment later he opened it.
"Hey," he said, letting her inside, "what's up?"
"Hey," she replied, then decided to get right to the point, "I was wondering if the Arrow may have said anything about me being able to get out in the field."
"He doesn't think you're ready," Roy answered, "I've brought it up a couple of times because I know you want to get out but I'm not entirely sure you're ready, either."
"What? I thought you had faith in me," Alex wasn't quite offended, just a bit surprised that Roy didn't seem to believe in her as much as she thought, "you said I'm one of the best fighters you've seen."
"I know, and you are," Roy replied quickly. "I just don't want you to get out until you're really ready. You've only been training for a month, and I could never forgive myself if something happened to you."
"Don't go all protective on me, Harper," Alex said. "You know I can take care of myself."
"I know. But it's my fault you're a part of this. So it's my fault if you get hurt."
"No, it's not. I want this. You weren't even the person who told me you're the Red Hood, or whatever they call you."
"They call me Arsenal. And I get that but I still feel responsible. And you really do need more training."
"Fine. But I'm starting to feel like I'm not wanted. I don't know who the Arrow is and I've never met the other people who work with you. So can you do one thing for me?"
"What?"
"I want you to convince the Arrow to let me know who he is. Otherwise I can't be sure I'm welcome."
"I can try, but it won't be easy. And we do need you. We lost a fighter pretty recently and we could use another."
"Then the Arrow should be willing to let me know who he is to keep me on the team."
Thanks to 06bromleys and Shaybo27
for following and to Highlander348 for reviewing. They said:
When is Alex going to figure out Oliver Queen is the Arrow? She is pretty smart after all! :)
It won't be too long now!