My name is Roy Harper. A pretty white name for a Native American kid, isn't it? Yeah, people get pretty skeptical when I tell them I'm a Navajo. I can't really blame them, since I got red hair from both of my half-Irish parents.
Speaking of which, I also come from a broken home. I was around ten when it happened. My parents were always kind to me, but weren't quite that way with each other. One day, my father left and never came back. Of course, my mother said he'd be coming home soon, and after a few days of waiting, I ran away from home to look for him.
An off-duty cop found me, and he took me back to my terrified mother. I explained that I was just looking for dad, and that's when she broke the truth to me. I was silent for several minutes, not fully understanding what that meant. And then I cried along with her.
/
Mom and I moved to the Arizona reservation she grew up on. It was there that I met my grandfather, Brave Bow, a WW2 veteran who used his people's language to develop secret codes that the Axis couldn't break. For playing such a vital part in assuring victory, our people were given a tiny portion of our land back, conveniently located around an abandoned uranium mine.
Brave Bow took it upon himself to become the father figure I needed. He saw that I had a lot of anger in my young heart, from both my dad leaving and from the more I learned about the injustices committed against my people. But despite having lived through them, grandfather never showed any anger towards the white man.
"It's natural to feel angry," he taught me, "but anger mixed with bitterness is a poison worse than any snake or scorpion could ever make. If there is something that angers you, first find out the parts of it that you cannot change. Second, you must accept that you cannot change what you cannot change. Third, change what you can change, and let the Great Sprit do the rest. But no matter what you do, make sure you have no poison in your heart."
Grandfather's true passion was archery, an ancient skill that he taught me. After a few years as his student, we bonded over it well, and I had gotten to the point where I could make a bullseye all day non-stop.
Then at the end of the day, grandpa told me to blink. I did, and I realized that it was a full mile away.
"You have the Spirit Eye – a great gift amongst our people, but only we are the ones to use it any more."
/
I was 13 when I attended the National Youth Archery Competition. I would have easily won with a perfect score, had it not been for a girl from Minnesota doing the same. I wasn't about to share the money; I needed all of it for my people.
So, I went to the judges and proposed that I could hit a bullseye from as far back as the target could be placed – about half a mile. They laughed and agreed to do it with all the targets, promising the double the reward money for each one I hit.
It was so easy I didn't stop walking as I made each shot.
/
Thanks to the money, we were finally able to clear out all the radiation in our soil and plants, making enough crops and livestock to be free from government aid.
My championship, however, could not solve the one problem that runs rampant on every reservation – alcohol addiction. A few months later, it finally caught up with my grandfather, killing him in his sleep.
After the funeral, my mother pointed out all the e-mails and letters I had gotten from various companies asking me to be a spokesperson. I tried explaining that I wasn't interested in helping greedy white people make more money, but she insisted that I should use my talents to help the whole world.
So, I went through all the offers, and there was only one that stood out:
"Saw you on the TV, and that's quite an exceptional talent you have. If you'd like, I can help you make a real difference in the world with it."
Signed Mr. Oliver Queen. The internet made him out to be just another rich white capitalist, so it was odd that he wasn't offering me money or asking me to make money for him.
So, I accepted his offer.
/
A week later, I was being welcomed into Queen Manor on the outskirts of Star City. Mr. Queen introduced himself and his wife Dinah (who seemed like a definite trophy wife at first). After giving he a tour of his home, Oliver led me to his backyard where a target had been set up about a mile away.
"So, do you think you could hit that?" he asked, handing me on the bows and arrows et up by our feet.
I proudly affirmed I could, and prepared to fire. Just before I let go, I saw another arrow hit the bullseye – an arrow with a green head and a shaft pointing to the left. I quickly turned to the left and saw Oliver with a green bow in his hand.
"You … you're …. Green Arrow?"
"The one and only."
"So, you're a Navajo too?"
"No; my mom's grandma was Cherokee."
/
The last part of the tour was the Arrow Cave, and Oliver truly loved showing off his superhero costumes and arrows. The tour ended in the Arrow Car, when he showed me some pictures from his glove compartment.
"You see this island? That's where my private plane crashed about five years ago. I was the only survivor, and I was forced to live like a caveman for three months before I was rescued. But what changed me was the flight back. My pilot cooks and secretaries who weren't coming back … they all died because they were willing to serve me, but I wouldn't have died for anyone.
"I decided that I would no longer serve myself, but my fellow man, especially those less privileged than me, who had to fight for survival every day like I had on that island. But as Oliver Queen, I could only do so much, especially against the crime that ran through this city. Murders and robberies were constantly on the rise, and police were more concerned with going after people for smoking the wrong plant.
"So, I saw what I could change in the world, and I've been doing what I can to change it."
"And you want to be your little sidekick, huh?"
"No, my wife gladly fills out that role. No, I want to train you into your own hero, if you're willing to accept, that is."
"Are you kidding? Who wouldn't want to be a hero?"
"Well, nobody should."
Oliver took out a big stack of newspaper clippings and plopped them into my lap. They were all obituaries, and most had a face to go along with.
"Those are all the people I failed to rescue," he explained while rolling up his sleeve, showing me just a fraction of the scars his lifestyle had given him. "And this is what happens when you miss the bad guys."
I have to admit, that was discouraging. "Well, my grandpa was in the army. He fought the Axis. I know that I can be courageous against evil just like he was."
"Would you like to have a girlfriend?"
"Um, sure."
"Well, I was lucky enough to meet Dinah, and the odds were about a million to one. Realistically, you won't have time for romance or family. The best you can hope for is a string of one-night stands with a different girl each night and … now you really want this, don't ya?"
A quickly nodded a dozen times in response.
"Well, that settles it, then. You are now officially a hero-in-training, but due to the item that won you over, let's begin your new life with 'the talk'."
"The talk?"
"Yeah. Wear a fresh condom, no means no, and remember to just have fun. Talk over!"
/
I'll never forget my first night as a hero. Oliver had me analyze a downtown traffic stop, I saw one of the cops pull out a small bag of weed to plant in the car. I immediately used a glue-arrow to pin his hand with the weed bag against the side of the building, exposing the dirty pig for what he was. The press began dubbing me as Red Arrow, due to the color I had chosen for my costume. I didn't mind.
Six months later, we went to the Star City History museum to investigate non-responding security comms. Looking down through glass windows, we saw that the museum was being robbed by armed masked criminals.
There were three rooms being robbed, so we each took a different room. I stealthily snuck inside the room I was given, and I got a good aim at the thieves trying to deactivate the lasers guarding an artifact known as the Blue Scarab. From the edge of the room, I aimed an arrow that would have acted as a flashbang grenade.
But it didn't go more than twenty feet, as it just simply stopped in the air. As I stared in disbelief, I noticed two slender green eyes and a sharp-toothed grin hovering over the arrow. Then around the eyes and smile appeared a white mask with cat ears, and underneath that appeared a thin teenage girl in a green kimono-type and silver claws protruding from her knuckles.
Then I noticed a bunch of masked gunmen appearing all up the two pillars in front of me. Just before they opened fire, I felt a rope wrap around my ankle and yank me to the side, pulling me a good fifty feed before I hit the ground. I looked up and saw Wonder Girl (yes, I knew what the other heroes and sidekicks looked like, but this was my first time seeing another one in person) flying above me, blocking on the bullets with her arm bracelets while knocking the gunmen off the pillars. Then she landed in front of the mask girl, pulling a sword out of one bracelet and a shield out of another.
"Wait, don't tell me. Wonder Woman got herself disciple, too?"
"Yes, that is why I am Wonder Girl!"
"Aww, that's cute. They call me Cheshire."
"I don't care. You shall not defile the legacy of the Amazons!"
"Amazons, huh? Last I checked, you were all in the history books. The League of Assassins, on the other hand, happen to be today's news!"
I quickly got up and joined Wonder Girl in her fight against the room full of ninjas. We weren't really fighting side-by-side; more like fighting separately but against the same enemy. As their numbers dwindled down, I saw Cheshire appear again and attempt to strike Wonder Girl from behind. I quickly fired five arrows in one second at her, but she disappeared and dodged them all, and Wonder Girl just barely managed to avoid them.
"Watch it, Speedy!" she shouted at me in annoyance.
Finally, it was just the three of us. Cheshire managed to get a few cuts on me, and I could feel a poison begin weakening my muscles. I tried firing an explosive arrow, but it only set a decorative plant on fire, the sight of which caused Wonder Girl to freeze and look on it with fear.
Noticing this, Cheshire stuck her left-hand claws in the flames and began walking towards her.
"What's wrong? Scared of a little fire."
With her right-hand claws, Cheshire was able to get a stab o her front back, and each leg before Wonder Girl could finally fight back, and the two were locked in a physical stalemate. I mustered up the strength to stand and fired an arrow at the stationary Cheshire, which exploded and trapped her in a net. Before she could rip it open, I fired a glue arrow at each set of claws, and then a sleeping gas arrow above her head just to top it off.
It was then that I got a call from Oliver about Wonder Woman being n town. I told him what had happened, and all the assassins had been taken out or knocked out.
"Very good. The police have the museum surrounded, so return back to the Arrow Cave."
I turned to Wonder girl, who was standing up straight as her wounds glowed purple before fading away as though she had never been wounded.
"Nice shooting, Speedy."
"Uh, thanks."
"So … are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine…" And then my body suddenly remembered it had blood oozing out from a cut on my abs.
/
"The poison seems to be generic; only meant to cripple muscle. This oil should help, but keep that bandage on for a week."
"Thanks, Donna. Honestly I feel better already."
"No, thank you, Roy. You are loyal, strong, and skilled – a fine example for any warrior."
She sat down on the hospital bed across from me (we were in the medical bay of the cave), legs crossed, arms to the side, and head slightly tilted.
"So, you got any condoms?"
If I had been in a chair, I would've fallen over backwards. "Uh, what?"
"Condoms. If you don't, I got some in my…"
"Wait, so you want to have sex with me?"
"Of course. We're fellow warriors, aren't we?"
"OK, but it's just that, um, I'm kind of a virgin."
"Well, I used to be that too, so I get it if you're not ready."
"No, I most definitely want to do it!"
She smiled devilishly. "Well, could we find somewhere more spacious? I don't want to break anything."
I led her to the training room and showed her the open area with padded floors that I practiced martial arts on.
"Yes, this will do just nicely". Without warning, she grabbed the back of my neck and pulled my lips onto hers, and then pushed her tongue down my throat. So, my first kiss was no passion and all lust – explosive joyous lust. I closed my eyes and tried reaching for her arms, and then realized they were busy pulling off my open shirt, unloosening my belt, and tying her lasso around my wrists (one end around each wrist).
She released my mouth and began walking towards the center of the mat, lasso in hand. During this walk, she pulled of her shirt, tossed it aside, loosened her belt, and let her pants drop to the floor. Then she turned and looked at me, letting me gawk at her perfect feminine form in a training bra and panties. Then she gave her lasso a slight tug, and I went flying towards her. She caught me by hugging me with her arms and legs, and kissed me again as we bounced along the mat.
What we did next wasn't so much "love-making" as "wrestle-screwing". We both fought for the dominant role, and her strength plus experience gave her the advantage. However, she was kind enough to instruct me, and allowed time-outs so I could replenish myself with a caffeinated sports drink Oliver had gotten me hooked on.
My first time ended with Donna throwing her head back and screaming, then falling forward, her chest impacting mine, and then rolling off me as we caught her breath. Before falling asleep, I felt her hand grab mine as she whispered into my ear:
"Thanks for that, Speedy!"
Next time I met the press, I'd tell them about my new hero name.
/
When I woke up, Donna was gone, a blanket was over me, and a fresh costume was by my side. I looked over and saw Oliver with his back away from me, sharpening a new arrow.
"Let me know when you got pants on so I can turn around."
I did so, and then he turned around and came to me.
"So, do you feel like a man?"
"No, but I do feel different … and happy."
"Good. You know, you don't really have a lot of scars considering your fight last night."
"What? I took plenty of damage, and this one on my stomach…"
I saw the bandage Donna had placed was coming off. I unpeeled it, and no scar was there.
"One of the benefits of magical girls, Roy, is that when you make them climax, some of their magic rubs off on you. Now you've got magic healing. Same thing happened to me with Dinah – which is good, otherwise I'd be deaf with a fractured skull."
"OK, thanks for telling me."
"By the way, she's in the hangar about to leave, so…"
I quickly put on my shirt and rushed into the hangar, where I immediately ran into the Invisible Jet. Thanks to my new healing, my face fixed itself up just in time for me to meet Wonder Woman, who gave me a handshake, and then a hug.
"Welcome to the hero life, kid!" she said. "If you want Donna, she's in the plane."
Seeing the open door, I walked into the plane and found Donna, in a new costume while using a magic loom to fix the costume from last night. I happily walked up to her to wish goodbye, but she responded by kicking me in the stomach. As I recovered from the pain, I looked up to see her looking down on me very angrily.
"Don't get the wrong idea!" she shouted. "I only did that thing last night because it is Amazonian custom, not because I like you or anything! Dummy!"
I could only look back with confusion.
"OK, Donna, we're about ready to go," announced Wonder Woman as she came in. "Oh, and don't you have something you want to give to Roy?"
I looked back at Donna, and found a full Tupperware shoved into my face.
"Here's some food I made this morning. I didn't make it for you; I just made too much, so don't get the wrong idea! Dummy!"
After they left, Oliver asked me, "So, what do you think of girls?"
"They're very confusing".
/
Today's a very sad day, as the Justice League is leaving Earth to aid the Green Lanterns in their fight against Darkseid.
As we all said our goodbyes, I saw Robin for the first time. For some reason, I wanted to introduce myself, but we didn't. Maybe it's because our alpha personalities were repulsing each other, or we just didn't want to express our emotions in front of strangers.
But I did see Donna again, for the first time in a long time. She clearly didn't want to lose her mother. I suddenly felt this need to walk up to her and provide some type of comfort. But then Supergirl flew up to her, and it was clear that the two were already providing that type of comfort to each other.
I was excited to get a call from her that night – only to be invited for a threesome with her and Kara.
That works for me too.
/
I was a solo hero for a while, then got to be a part of the Titans East. While I do thank Aqualad for helping realize my bisexuality, and I did enjoy our threesomes with Bumblebee, I still can't deny that I wanted more.
Then, about a month after the Brotherhood of Evil was defeated, Donna asked to meeton the rooftop of Titans East tower. When she came she held out her hand and opened up a box with two diamond rings on it.
"Roy Harper, will you marry me?"
I was more shocked and confused than ever before. "What? Why me?"
"Roy, I'm pregnant."
"OK, what? But we haven't seen…"
"You're not the biological father. I've asked all the potential candidates – all 25 of them – and none of them are ready to be a dad."
"But you think I am?"
"You're definitely one of my most mature partners, and I know all the charity you've done for children is genuine. And besides … I … like you."
I almost blushed. "But what about you and Kara?"
"She doesn't mind sharing. We Amazons are polyamorous anyway. Also, my child will need a father figure, especially if I'm having a boy."
"But what about fighting evil?"
"It's going down worldwide. Good as time as any for early retirement. And besides, I may be a warrior, but I'm a woman, too. I want to know what it's like to create, nourish, and raise a life."
"Donna…"
"Do you like me?"
"What?"
"I'm sorry, I just always thought that you liked me back, but I wasn't thinking and needed to get that straight first, I'm so sorry, I should've asked that before even coming here and…"
Donna noticed that the two rings were out of their box; one was on my hand, and the other on hers.
"Yes, Donna. Yes, I will!"
Tears in both our eyes, we embraced and kissed each other – our first real kiss.
