Bird and the Arrow

Part One

by Craig Young

She stands quietly, teary eyed, over a fallen friends grave. She loved him. With all her heart, she loved him. Now its been over a year, and the sting of loving her best friend, and her former lover, are over. This has not been the year for the good guys. Many fallen friends, fallen foes, and a certain lonilness, from knowing that all the friends if her life are gone. She lays a single rose on her fallen's grave. And begins to weep.

"Dammit Ollie, why?", she mumbled. "First it was Barry, and the Crisis. Then you, being so noble, give up our lives, to save Metropolis, but with your life at the cost. Superman, told me, he could have saved you, but you thought, just because you lost a hand, you still wouldn't be the greatest. I think what finally broke the shell was Hal." "You know, over the years, our lives and pathes changed so much." Diana, looks at the grave, but in reality her mind is almost 11 years back.

The meet for the first time, 5 metahumans, some hold an almost alien quality, 1 is the Fastest Man Alive, and another is the Man of No Fear. Together John Jonz "The Martian Manhunter", Aquaman, Hal Jordon "The Green Lantern", Barry Allen "The Flash" and lastly the Black Canary II. Together the made the legendary Justice League of America. The was no challenge the couldn't take, from the LOCTUS, to Starro, to Amazo, to Vandel Savage, we took every challenge, and the whole world took notice.

But time took its toll, and yes, everyone in some form stayed in some incarnation of the league, but the league changed everyone. We all grew up and yes, we all changed..including you Ollie. I remember the first time we met. God you came on like such a jerk. We were all celebrating after a press conferance, and beating our first true team challenge. Vandel Savage sent a team of enforecers bent on ending our unification. Eclipso, Thorn, Clayface and Soloman Grundie, all problems in there own sense, but we won, and then a certain Emerald Archer walked into the scene." Diana flashes a small grin. "God you were so full of yourself, commentting on your "shaft" if I remember correctly. It was a good thing, yor nickname was Green Arrow, or I would have fed you that shaft you talked about." After a while, and a few rather inconvient team ups, you were on of the first people, that was actually let into the League. Along with more heroes that are now gone, Hawkman, Metamorpho, he scaraficed himself for the league. Atom, after the whole Zero Hour fiacso, became a teen again. Not to mention, Batman, Superman, and the rest of the many friends, we made and lost. Oh Ollie, what happend to us? We were the closest of the bunch...oh Ollie." and with that Diana, begins to cry, and weeps uncontrolibly as another person, walks behind her.

"Hello Pretty Bird", said with a certain boyish charm, for a seconed Dianah thought, that maybe just maybe her Oliie had come home, but as she turned around, she only saw a Green costume, but it was not her Ollie. "Conner" she wispered, witha certain disarray. "I'm sorry to startle you Diana, but I didn't think anyone would come to see dad." "Ollie, was quite a man. Not that you haven't carried on the Arrow's tradition, Conner, its just its different."

"Diana, what if I told you that I think Ollie is alive?"

"What, that can't be, Superman, saw him die..." Dinah said in surprise.

"Diana, I found this drilled in my door and a note..read for youself."

And as Dinah reads the note a two small items are accompanined a key and a small green arrow, to which Dinah, can't believe.

"Pretty bird, lets go for an adventure"...

[return to journal index] [go to part two]