Green Arrow #22: "A Family Affair"

[starlord]

Green Arrow
Issue #22: “A Family Affair”
Written by: Brian Burchette
Cover by: Joey Jarin
Edited by: Don Walsh

Green Arrow’s journey had reached the end of the road as the Washington Monument loomed straight a head of him. He gripped the handles of his bike a little firmer and hit the throttle. There was so much anger building in him, so much that he had witnessed that could all be lead back to one of America’s most influential men,

He crossed the Potomac, catching a glimpse of the Jefferson Memorial on his right. Thomas Jefferson, there was a President who seemed out of place, to him. A man who signed the Declaration of Independence while ordering his slaves to work harder in the fields. It just showed that hypocrisy had been alive and well over two hundred and fifty years ago.

He ignored the looks he got from other cars and passersby as he wove his bike through traffic, the white hot rage within him spiraling out of control.. He was tired of all of it. The country was imploding and nobody was doing anything about it! Government officials catered to lobbyists all while turning a blind eye to the innocents that were paying the ultimate price for the illegal drugs that easily crossed the borders.

Then there was Mia: his best friend’s daughter had been kidnapped and sold to a third world country as a slave. Even he had been shocked to find out that Secretary of Defense James Donaldson and others of his ilk had made an unholy alliance with these evil governments, allowed to take young children and in return getting a pass on terrorism in the States. Yet, it did make sense, didn’t it? Perhaps that was the real reason there had been fewer attacks on the United States than any other country.

The reasons why no longer interested him. Stopping it – that was all that mattered. His Justice League signal had went off several times during the last leg of his journey, but he was ignoring it. At least the Outsiders had sense enough to know when he said, “leave me alone,” he meant it.

He had just crossed the bridge when he noticed what looked like four small white birds headed his way. His eyebrow arched as he watched the swerve through oncoming traffic straight for him.

“What in the hell...” He muttered to himself.

As they drew closer, Ollie’s heart skipped a beat: those weren’t birds! Some kind of avian-shaped missies sped toward him. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the four pint-sized weapons, waiting for the exact moment to veer out of the way. When the missiles were only a few feet away, he swung his bike to the left, cutting in between two cars as the missiles whizzed past him. The driver honked his horn angrily and startled Ollie, who then looked back and flipped up his middle finger at the driver. He gave a wicked grin as he did it, only to have it drop from his face when he spotted the missiles coming back after him.

“Well, son of a bitch.” He exclaimed as he gunned his engine and took off, weaving through traffic.

They were being controlled, that much was obvious, and who ever was doing it probably wasn’t far. Was this some kind of high tech weapon that Donaldson was using to eliminate him before Ollie reached him? If so, it wasn’t going to work.

Green Arrow continued to threading between the cars as the missiles came barreling down toward him. The road curved to the left and he saw exactly what he was looking for. He cut the engine and began to coast at a high rate of speed; allowing the missals to gain on him.

They got so close to Ollie that he heard the whirring noise they made. He took a breath and leapt off the bike, then grabbed a low branch off a cherry tree that hung over the road. He felt the wind from the small weapons whip past him as lifted his body up and over the tree limb, doing a midair flip before landing on the grass on the side of the road.

All four objects turned sharply but two were unable to avoid contact and exploded on impact. The concussive force blew out windows from every car in the area, all of them veering one way or the other as the drivers were startled. Ollie watched as a pile up began to happen.

He wanted to stay and help, but there were still two more of those things after him, so he turned to face them. He pulled two arrows out of his quiver, nocked them, and released both at the same time. Each one found their target, causing the final two missiles to explode over the now stopped traffic. There were some screams of fright, but no injuries. He was grateful for that.

He looked around, noting that he was standing only yards away from the World War II Memorial. He had always wanted to visit it, but unfortunately duty called.

No bike meant he was going to have to walk the rest of the way. He adjusted his hat and began the final leg of his journey on foot; and also ignored the insults that hurtled in his direction from drivers getting out of their cars.

*******

Terra Man chuckled. “Ah should’ve known that wasn’t gonna work. That kid got to much attitude to let a few twenty-third century missiles slow him down.”

The villain who had called himself the Gambler, stepped over the dead body of Secretary of Defense James Donaldson. He lifted up his shirt sleeve and pressed a tiny button on his watch.

“Here,” came the short reply.

“Prepare our guest for his final exit, just as ah’ve instructed. But do not eliminate him until you hear from me – understood?”

“You got it, Sir,” the voice said curtly.

He walked back to the window of the office he now occupied. He had accomplished as much as he could here. With the unwitting help of the United States Government, he had been able to create several new avenues of business for his continually growing organization: the Deck.

Although he could just jump on his steed and fly away at this point, he had a desire to see his nemesis, his blood, again. He wanted Green Arrow to know who was behind it all. Perhaps not everything, but the version that would entertain Terra Man the most.

He heard shouting coming from down the hall. It was just about show time.

*******

Ollie had walked right up to the building that held Donaldson's private office. It was a well-kept secret that the latest Secretary of Defense had kept his own private office away from prying eyes. Very few outside of the most inner circle of Washington’s power players, knew about it; however, so did Ollie, and he didn’t need the technical magic of Barbara Gordon to tell him either.

He entered the building, passing several professionally-dressed people, as he made his way to the back elevator at the end of the hall. They all turned to stare, but nobody stopped him.

When he stepped into the lift, he touched the button to the top floor, but pressed it twice quickly, paused, then three more times just as rapidly. The elevator began its rise. Ollie leaned back against the wall and placed his right foot on it as well, while crossing his arms. He didn’t know what to expect when the doors opened, but he had a hunch it was going to be a surprise.

The elevator passed the top floor as he expected and went up one more level before the doors slid open. He was surprised, but not in the way he had expected to be. The office was bright from the rays of the afternoon sun as they passed through the glass walls. At the far end of the office was the desk, the high back chair faced away from him.

“Oh come on, Donaldson, do you have any idea how cliché that really is?” Green Arrow said as he stepped out of the elevator.

There was no reply. “You don’t mind if I call you Donaldson, do you?” he continued, scanning the rest of the room. He had been around for a long time and the hairs on the back of his neck standing up told him that there was somebody else there with them.

“I mean, until you tell me who you really are, that is. Telling me who you are working for would probably be nice as well, but I have no problem getting rough if I have to. In fact part of me would no doubt enjoy it.”

He made his way to the desk, removing his bow from over his shoulder. He pushed the chair with the tip of it and it swung around, the body of Donaldson falling over the arm rest and then onto the floor with a sickening thud.

“Killed before you could talk. Typical.”

“You intrigue me, boy.” Terra Man's voice came from somewhere in the room.

Green Arrow spun around, but the room appeared to be empty. “I know that voice. Well this explains a lot of things. Where are you, Gramps?”

The chuckle seemed to be coming from the farthest corner away from him, but still he saw nothing. “So ah see you’ve accepted the fact that ah’m yer kin.”

“I did some digging after your little bombshell. It does appear that my tree has a rotten apple attached to it. It also said that you disappeared on your way out west, never to be heard from again.”

“Does it now? That’s cause ah never made it to Arizona. I was side tracked by a trip to the future.”

“Well that explains a lot. You plan on showing yourself or are you just a little too yellow to face me?”

There was a shimmer in the corner and Terra Man appeared. “I ain’t yella, that’s fer sure.”

“So do you want to tell me what you did with the real Secretary of Defense or am I going to have to beat it out of you?”

“Ya know, you would have fit in well back in the good ol’ days. You got a real mean streak to you, boy.”

“I don’t have time for this, Hopalong; tell me what you did with Donaldson.”

“He’s safe, for the moment. You gonna tell me how you figured it out?”

“I suspected some time ago. You didn’t do your homework very well. Donaldson was an old friend of the family before he was chosen for his position. Queen Enterprises worked with him on several contracts, giving me the chance to get to know him pretty well. There was no way he would have created the messes that you did.”

“Ah’m going to have to fire somebody for that little slip up.”

“You got some nerve,” Ollie said, bow still at the ready. “This country has enough problems without your kind adding to them.”

“Oh for Pete’s sake, boy. Don’t go gitten on your high horse again. This country is all about capitalism, and ah’m just trying to make a buck, like everyone else.”

“Stop calling me boy!” Green Arrow shouted as his arm suddenly flew back, grabbing an arrow, nocking it and letting go.

Even though Terra Man had been at the ready, the quickness of the attack caught him off balance. He was struck by the blunt tipped arrow, causing him to stumble back into a potted plant.

“Now tell me where the real Donaldson is!” Green Arrow demanded as he nocked another arrow and began to cross the distance between them.

Terra Man did not hesitate, nor did he bother to rise first. His hand came out from behind him, flinging two silver spurs at the archer. Ollie quickly ducked to the left, allowing them to both fly by him. They embedded themselves into the desk behind him.

“I expected better from you, old man.”

His enemy grinned as the tips of the spurs that were sticking out suddenly detached from the rest of the metal objects striking Green Arrow in the back of the legs.

“Son of a bitch!” he shouted as they penetrated his skin. He quickly pulled them out, trickles of blood running down the back of both legs. Turning back around, he saw that Terra Man had regained his footing. “Nice little trick, but it’s going to take a helluva lot more than a few shards of metal to stop me from kicking your ass.”

The cowboy grinned. “Ah don’t doubt that, but ah’m going to have to cut this little reunion short. My time here is at an end and so is yours.”

His words were no sooner out of his mouth than Ollie felt a burning sensation in both of his legs. His eyes widened as both appendages became instantly numb. He fell to the floor as he watched Terra Man pull both guns from his holsters. For a second he thought it was the end of the line for him, but the villain turned and shot out the window next to him with his revolver-looking ray guns. Placing his fingers inside his mouth, he let out a high pitched whistle.

“You’re not going anywhere!” Ollie shouted from the carpeted floor as he struggled to grab an arrow.

“Ah’ll see you next time, son,” Terra Man said with a wink as the white horse, wings flapping with a majestic beauty, came hovering next to the window. Terra tipped his hat in Arrow’s direction before leaping past the shattered glass, landing smoothly onto the back of the horse.

“Oh no you don’t,” Ollie muttered as he fired his arrow.

Even with the poison running through his body and the tenseness of the situation, Ollie couldn’t help but be impressed as the arrow found its mark. It streaked right through the stirrup of the saddle just before Terra Man fitted his foot in it. Ollie gripped the rope that was tied to the end of the arrow, wrapping it around his hand several times as he watched the horse take off into the sky.

Green Arrow braced himself and felt his body jerk, then drag across the carpet before he found himself free falling as he left the office building behind.

*******

“No, sir, I have not spoken to my father in a few days now,” Connor Hawke said, his voice steady and polite.

“Do you have any idea where he was headed?” Hal Jordan asked.

“I believe he was on his way to Washington D.C., but I’m also sure he wanted to be left alone.”

The voice grunted in frustration. “Yeah, that usually means he’s about to do something stupid. Thanks, Connor. I’ll be in touch.”

As the young man set the phone down, there was a knock on his office door. “Yes?” he called out.

The door swung open and Mia Dearden walked in, her face full of enthusiasm. “I’ve got great news!”

“And what would that be?” he asked.

“I’ve got a lead on that drug shipment that you took down last night. I know the name of the guy who it was going to.”

Connor stood up. “How, exactly, were you able to come across this information? Please, Mia, don’t tell me you went out on your own to investigate.”

She halted, her face turning red. “Umm... okay, I won’t.”

“I thought we had an agreement?”

“Well what was I suppose to do while you were here? Spend the day singing show tunes into my hairbrush?”

“What would that have accomplished?” Connor asked with genuine puzzlement.

Mia through up her hands in disgust. “You know, it’s not easy hanging with a guy who spent most of his life in a monastery.”

He nodded in agreement. “I can’t argue with that, but don’t change the subject. You promised me that you would wait for me before investigating the Triad’s new operation. Why would you break that promise?”

“Because I was bored!” she shouted in frustration. “Summer classes are only in the morning, which leaves me all afternoon with nothing to do. Anyway, I can take care of myself, you know. I’m the one who spent several months in the Middle East as a slave.”

“I know,” Connor replied. “I don’t doubt that you can handle yourself, it is not the discussion we are having either. I’m talking about breaking your promise. Mia, you’ve broken the trust between us.”

This caught her off guard for a second. She hesitated, but suddenly lost her temper. “Jesus! It ain’t that big of a deal. I didn’t even put myself in any kind of danger to get the information. I just asked a couple of people that I knew – sniffed around a little. Why are you suddenly being so over protective, anyway?”

“Because until Ollie returns, you are in my care.”

“Well here’s a news flash for you. You ain’t my father! You’re not even my brother, for that matter!”

“No, I’m neither, but I am your friend and someone who cares about you.”

It was the second time his words caught her off guard. This time, however, it seemed to take the steam out of her anger. She dropped her head in embarrassment. “I’m... I’m sorry, okay,” she said it quickly as if ripping a band-aid off. “I just... I...”

“You’re grieving, Mia.” Connor said gently, walking to her. “It’s okay. I understand.”

The words opened up the dam she had created. She began to sob as Connor wrapped his arms around her and held her.

“It’s not fair! Eddie and I were just getting to know each other. Why did he have to die?”

“It’ll be okay,” Connor assured her, allowing her to weep into his shoulder. He would not answer her question, however. Not because he didn’t have one, but because he was wise enough to know that any answer at that moment would be hollow.

He held her for a long time as she finally let it all out.

*******

Terra Man nearly fell from his flying horse as the creature felt the Green Arrow's extra weight nearly yank it from the sky.

“What the hell?” he exclaimed as he looked behind him while his horse tried to adjust. He was surprised to see Ollie struggling to climb up the rope toward him.

“Gotta hand it to ya, boy, you sure got that family grit.”

Ollie refused to waste energy on words. The numbness that had started in his legs was creeping up into the rest of his body and he was determined to take the man down before the poison overcame him.

Terra Man pulled one of the guns from his holster. “Ya know, that poison ain’t gonna kill ya, but a fall from this height sure in the hell will.”

Still the green clad hero said nothing. Although he kept his sight on his enemy, he couldn’t help but catch glimpses of the Washington Monument in front of them. They were far enough in the air that they were actually above the monument itself. He was beginning to think that this may not have been one of his better ideas.

He had almost made it all the way up when Terra Man fired his gun, cutting the rope that held him. Ollie screamed as he fell towards the ground; not in fear, but in frustration at having been so close. He closed his eyes and waited for the end, wishing he had had one more chance to tell Dinah what she had meant to him.

He never hit the ground, however, as he felt an arm grab his own. He opened his eyes to see the man who had sent him to his death holding on to him. It was the last thing he felt in that arm as it too went numb.

“Ah have to say, boy, you do impress the livin’ hell out of me.”

“Don’t... call... me... boy,” Ollie muttered.

The horse flew to the ground, startling several people that were walking along the sidewalk. Terra Man dropped him unceremoniously and Ollie hit the ground hard, unable to move any part of his body.

His ancestor removed himself from his ride and knelt down beside him. “Just remember, ah coulda killed you today, but ah didn’t. You see, yer kin, and I just can’t seem to bring myself to plug mah own flesh and blood. But don’t push me, Oliver, cause ah can still destroy you whenever I choose. You don’t know how powerful ah am. Ah’ve got contacts everywhere. One day you and ah are gonna have to finish this, deep down, ah know that, but today ah get to leave you with the knowledge that ah won again. And ah know that ain’t gonna sit well with you.”

He got up and headed back to his steed but turned around. “Tell ya what, though. Ah’ll give ya a consolation prize. Was plannin’ on killin’ Donaldson, but you put up a good fight. Ah’m actually very proud of ya. I’ll let Donaldson live, send him back to ya. Everything ah needed to do is done, already, anyway.”

He swung his legs up and mounted the horse, tipping his hat to Green Arrow. “Until next time, sonny.” Then he dug his spurs into the steed who took to the air immediately.

Green Arrow lay on the ground, watching him fly away, until he was nothing more than a speck in the sky.

*******

Twenty-four hours later:

The phone in the hotel room went hurtling against the wall, shattering into a million pieces as Oliver Queen let out a cry of frustration. He had just received word that the entire event with Donaldson had been hushed up, due to security reasons.

“Goddamn bureaucrats!” he shouted. “They screwed up, and now they’re going to hide it from the American people.”

“Ollie, you need to calm down.” Barbara Gordon's voice came over his Outsider communicator. “It wasn’t the real Donaldson; it was a doppelganger, created by Terra Man. They feel that letting the people know that someone was able to replace our Secretary of Defense and use him to manipulate foreign drug cartels for his own purpose would be detrimental to the morale of the country.”

“Bullshit!” he shouted in frustration. “What about the damage that was done? What are they going to do to help clean up the mess that Terra Man made?”

There was silence on the other end, giving Ollie the answer. It sent him into another tirade full of expletives.

After he had calmed down a little, Barbara spoke again. “Is there anything else I can do to help you, Ollie?” she asked gently.

“Nah, you’ve done enough. Thanks for the info.”

“Ollie... why don’t you come back to the group for awhile, God knows we could use your help.”

“Yeah, so I can be in the same room as the woman who dumped me. No thanks. That fancy new place you and Zatanna built isn’t big enough for the two of us. Anyway, it’s about time I head back to Star City, reconnect with my son.”

“You want me to open a portal for you? I can have you there in less than five seconds.”

“No thanks. I’d rather go home the way I came here. I’ll have to get me a new bike, I guess. Thanks again, Barbara. Take care.”

“You too, Ollie. Be safe.”

Oliver Queen switched off his communicator and sat at the end of the bed looking out at the Potomac River, staring at the dome of the Capital. He was really beginning to hate everything his country had turned into. He stayed up late into the night, staring at the center of America’s political system. His hate and frustration churning in his gut.

When dawn rose, he pulled out his uniform and suited up for his trip back home. He looked at himself in the mirror as he placed his domino mask over his eyes, unaware that it would be the last time he would perform that ritual...

To Be Continued

[HoM]

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