Unlimited Legends #7 (Featuring Green Arrow)

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Unlimited Legends #7
Robin Hood
Part 4:
Lost Revenge, Rekindled Purpose

Written by Nikolai Peter Fomich
Edited by Daniel Dyer

Featuring...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Oliver Queen!” Moving away from the stage, Stanley Dover motions Oliver to step forward. The young man was not the same one who Stanley remembered from years ago, when he and Oliver’s father had put it upon themselves to reshape Star City, Robert Queen having it twice as hard, being a family man. Stanley Dover has no family, he had never broken free of his bachelor habits from youth. So when Oliver had returned it was a godsend for him: here was his chance to be like a father to the son of his best friend. And though Stanley wished that this altruistic reason was the only one for helping Oliver, in his heart he knows better. Stanley Dover needs to cleanse himself of the daily guilt he feels, over what has happened to Star City. John deLeon crushed the spirit of the city Stanley had helped to build, and the old man was not up to the task to be the city’s savior. But with Oliver, there is hope. Hope, and maybe even a sense of betterment.

“Hello. Many of you people knew my parents, and what they did. My father built a company that revitalized the industry of this city. Unfortunately, I am not half the man he is. By now he would have found a way to return Star City to its former glory. I am nowhere near so brilliant. But what I can do is point to one of the men responsible for the decay we have faced. We all know who I speak of- he is far too much of a coward to have shown up today. John deLeon was never a favorite of my father’s. Robert Queen did not trust him, and with good cause. But what I am about to say is something that will shock as well as reaffirm the need for action. John deLeon- a man we all know for despicable acts that have, at least as far as the public is concerned, legal- hired a man to kill me on the cruise-liner Kristina three years ago. I presume he had planned to take over the company after my apparent death, but luckily I am not that killable. I have made my return for something not so noble- revenge. Not so much for myself, as for my family name. My lawyers are working the legal matters right now, but I have high hopes that proof of this attempt on my life will soon be in my possession. Again, I thank you all for your support.”

Walking down the podium as the crowd’s clapping dies down, Oliver Queen flinches at the radiant light emitting from the various cameras from the various reporters. Oliver had known that the Annual Star City Orphanage Fund would be the perfect place to make his speech – he is, after all, an orphan himself. Making his way through the crowd, smiling and nodding to all his supports, he finds the woman he was looking for. Though no longer supporting her blonde wig – her hair is actually cut short, and a very distinct black – Dinah Lance still manages to look beautiful. “Hey Canary. Like my speech?”

“Oliver!” Her retort is sharp, but lacking any real reproach. “When we’re out of costume, we go by our real names. You’re in the public spotlight enough as it is. Being a known vigilante would only make matters worse- if you weren’t thrown in jail first.”

“Ah, deLeon knows already anyway. Not to mention that nasty assassin. In fact, anyone who’s seen me in action has to be pretty naïve to think that there are two people in Star City with a goatee like this.”

Oliver was right, she knew. He had not made it such a big concern to hide his identity, and he was right about the goatee. “Well, just don’t make a habit out of it. C’mon Queen, let’s grab something to eat. We’ll need to rest up for tomorrow.”

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"Did you see the news? That son of a bitch is ruining my life! I want him gone Drakon, gone!”

Glancing outside through the ruined window that Green Arrow had crashed through nights ago, Constantine Drakon seems in deep thought.

“Are you listening? Ah, I don’t know what I’m going to do with Queen. If I outed him as ‘Robin Hood’ – or whatever the hell he’s calling himself – he’d probably only have more power with the public.” Sighing, the plump businessman slumps in his chair, then looks up towards the ceiling. Drakon slowly comes toward the chair in front John deLeon’s desk, and carefully sits. “Ah well,” continues deLeon, pushing a mug of coffee towards the assassin. “At least I have you to help me with this idiot, eh, my murderous friend?” Suddenly deLeon is unable to breathe. Falling dead upon the desk, Drakon releases his icy grip from his former employee’s neck. Taking a sip of the warm coffee, Drakon sits a moment longer. Then, he begins his work.

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"Oliver, change quick!” Rousing from his bed, Oliver Queen sees Dinah, fully attired in her Black Canary costume, perched outside the windowsill of his modest apartment. “Ca- Canary? If you wanted to catch me in bed, you should’ve just said so.”

It is the sharp tone in her voice that catches the archer’s attention. “Ollie, this is no time for jokes! There’s a fire going on over at deLeon’s office right now! I picked it up on my radio-band, though I should’ve noticed the smoke: it’s huge.”

Moving as quickly as he can, Ollie runs around his bedroom to try and change as quickly as possible. Grabbing his quiver and bow, he’s ready.

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Perched on top of the roof, Constantine Drakon cannot help but admire his handiwork. His new employer, Eddie Fyers, had asked him to destroy not only John deLeon, but his company as well. Drakon considers himself modest, but sitting alone on the foreign building top, he smiles at what he has done. Suddenly, a colorful man drops down upon the roof, seemingly unaware of his enemy in the shadows, and most likely to save the two or three people trapped inside. How typical. Deciding he had tired of the games between them, Drakon stretches his arm, preparing to throw a deadly star lethally at the emerald archer. Before he can manage, however, a shrieking sound is heard.

“AHH!" Drakon falls back, taken by surprise with a kick to his stomach.

Drakon's vision still sharp, the Sicilian assassin makes out a blond woman in a leather jacket. The sound which was causing him most of his frustration seems to come from her mouth. Raising the star to its new target, Drakon prepares to shut her up for good. The air behind him seems to become more dense, and the assassin turns around, narrowly avoiding the four arrows that come at him. Facing the archer, he still manages to throw the star behind him towards Canary. For her part, she jumps into the air, and kicks the assassin, who falls to the ground, but is quick to get up on his feet. The loud cry from the girl had stopped, no doubt some sort of power these costumed types were so fond of nowadays. But with her companion nearby, she at least realized that whatever tactical value her power held was lost. Lunging at the female, the archer lets loose three arrows, one at a time, and though he evades them, Drakon is not prepared for the girl’s grabbing of his collar. Throwing him to the other side of the roof, the blonde fighter displays an appetite for judo. That won’t be enough to save you, child. Grabbing her hair, he smashes her face against his knee- sure that her nose is broken. Grinning at the archer, he expects to have to dodge some arrows- six at most. Instead, Oliver lunges at him, putting pressure on his enemy’s neck and kneeing him in the groin. This only angers the assassin, who lets the girl go, and flips the archer on his back. Taking out an arrow from the archer’s own quiver, he stabs him in his arm and proceeds to kick Oliver off the edge. Rolling with the hit, Ollie grabs hold of the ledge. A wooden sandal crushes his figures, and the vigilante finds himself in a situation much like he had been in three years ago. “Well, archer. For all your training, for all your flair, you still seem to be no more than the man you were three years ago.”

Stirring behind him, Black Canary rises up, only to have Drakon hit her down again. This distraction allows Ollie to take the arrow out of his arm and stab it through his attacker’s foot. As Drakon yells in pain, Oliver’s fingers are released, and he manages to pull himself up quickly. “The name…” he starts, breathing heavily. “The name… is Green Arrow.” For the first time, Drakon looks at his opponent with fright. Before either can move, fire blazes through a nearby furnace, and each is knocked to the side. As he gets up, the hero sees no trace of the man whose name he had never even learned.

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

No one had been killed in the fire that night. As soon as they had heard of it, Oliver and Dinah had decided to go through the building first, and then double back to surprise Drakon. No one had found the assassin’s body.

The courts had ruled in favor of Oliver Queen- though the fire had seemed suspicious. Oliver, however, had laid any suspicions to rest with his first act when in possession of the Queen fortune. Donating all but a modest amount to various charities and orphanages, Oliver had decided to take residence in the apartment he had been staying at, which was owned by Stanley Dover.

As the weeks had passed, Oliver is now writing a column for the Star City Journal, which has people from all walks of life talking. In it, he talks about poverty, desperation, corruption, and hope.

Everything is going well for Oliver now- and for Green Arrow. But there still remains one thing he has not accomplished yet.

“Hey Ollie. What’s up?” she says, entering his quasi-living room.

“Not much, Canary. Working the grind.”

Dinah laughs, “Please, Queen. You haven’t worked a real job your entire life.”

“Oh so that’s how it’s gonna be? Miss Florist-by-day-Vigilante-by-night?”

They both laugh at the ridiculousness of their lives. Looking her in the eyes, Ollie smiles, scoundrel-like. “Dinah, would you like to go on a date sometime?”

For a moment, silence fills the room. But only for a moment.

End.