The Starling Saviour

Chapter 11

This was the day. The day I returned to the SCPD; that my life would go back to normal. It all seemed unreal, as if I wasn't going back to the SCPD but was off to some place else. But boy, I was ready for it.

'Aria,' Janette, the receptionist, nodded in greeting as I entered the SCPD.

I flashed a grin and carried on to the centre of the SCPD, where the biggest room in the building was situated, where each department joined as one in community.

But I wasn't expecting what happened next.

'Welcome back!' They shouted, numerous people giving me hugs as I walked through.

Not another surprise party, I mentally rolled my eyes in embarrassment. I felt really ungrateful, but I hated all this fuss everyone was creating around me. I just wanted to go back like I had been working at the SCPD just the day before, but everyone was making it really hard for me.

'You didn't have to do this,' I said awkwardly to Helena, who was in the middle of it all.

'I did,' Helena contradicted, placing a hand on my shoulder. 'We all wanted to welcome you back. You've been through a lot, Aria, and you need to some recognition for that.'

'I... Don't know what to say,' I said as cheery as I could with a small smile.

After chatting to everyone I could and plenty of cake, I made my way to the lab with Helena.

'You didn't miss much whilst you were gone,' Helena announced, looking at the sparse cases pinned up on the evidence board. 'The worse thing that happened, well, what the department could stop, was that weird case at the mall, but no one was hurt and that Vigilante basically handed us the criminals.'

Not this again. I didn't need anyone to know I was working with the Vigilante that day. I could lose my job, and even get locked up in one of the cells in Iron Heights if I wasn't too careful.

'At least no one got hurt,' I said, trying to avoid the topic of the mall. 'So, anyway, what can I get started on today?'

'You could analyse some of the blood samples over there,' Helena pointed to the testing area of the lab. 'I would give you something more exciting to do, but we don't have anything-'

She stopped mid sentence.

'What is it?' I asked at once, worried.

Something was obviously happening.

'I can hear something going on downstairs,' she claimed, rushing to the computer screens in the lab.

Typing rapidly, a large icon popped up in the middle of the screen.

'Code red,' she gasped, pressing more keys. 'Something exciting's happening!'

She was clearly happy at the news. I could tell the other scientists in the room thought it was significant too, all of them rushing towards us. But what was actually going on? I missed my days going out on the field with Detectives Lucas Hilton and Quentin Lance. Maybe they'd give me anther shot at it.

'Aria,' Helena said happily, turning to me. 'Welcome back to chaos.'

---

Rushing down the stairs of the SCPD, I found Lance and his team about to speed towards the crime scene.

'Quick!' Lance shouted at me as he held the passenger door open for me from the drivers seat whilst trying not to put his foot down and drive away from me.