A Ghost Returns

Star City

December 4th, 2032

5:09:15 UTD

I'm a freshman of Star Academy. A brown belt in a martial arts team. Boring, plain and simple.

A ginger-haired girl in a red sweater, ripped jeans and a bookbag after another day at school is walking passed an alleyway. She is of Vietnamese descent, but also Caucasian. She pulled out a picture of a woman with raven hair, and similar features as her.

She sighs as the girl walks into a coffee shop. There was a barista near the counter taking an order from a young man with blonde hair. The Barista then looked at the girl who just sat next to the customer before her.

"Can I help you, Miss?" Asked the barista with blue-dyed hair. The girl then takes out the photograph. "Hey, sorry, not here for a coffee. But have you seen this woman around here?" She showed the barista the photograph. She takes a look with her reading glasses.

But then she Rose her head up and said, "No, I'm sorry. Never seen her in my life. This photograph looked like it was years prior."

"She's just someone important."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like me to make a copy and make a missing poster for me to hang on the window?" The Barista asked.

"No, it's okay. I appreciate this, thank you. Since I'm here, Cappuccino, vanilla with a Splenda please?" Asked the girl. The Barista nods. "Right away, Miss." Then the boy her age turned to her. "So, you're looking for someone?"

"You could say that. It's personal. I happened to be passing by every day. You come here often?" She asked. The boy nods. "Actually. Used to come here with my sister. You're not the only one who was looking for someone." The boy responded.

"Sorry. Must be hard to deal with someone closest to you disappeared. You're actually soft compared to the jerks I dealt with in the alleyways." Said the girl. Compared to other girls, she looks like she has the eyes of a hawk. The boy heard some rumors before. About the girl who pick fights on the alleyways.

"Whoa. You're her. The girl who gets in a lot of fights in the alleys." The girl then explains her side of the story. "Okay, part of the rumors was true. But this is not out of bad intentions. I just kick butts cause a bunch of jerks kept messing with kids these days. But at the same time, it was also to get out of the house for some fresh air."

"Hate to admit this, but that's actually terrifying. But also cool. Wish I had the same courage as you." The blonde boy admits. "I used to be picked on as a kid for being "too nice." Maybe it's because I hate fighting."

The Barista came back with the Cappuccino the go ordered. "Your cappuccino, miss." She hands the cup to her. "Thank you." She said before the barista leaves for other customers. "Life sucks, I know. Can't blame you. Mom is gone. Dad won't tell me anything. While he and my uncles. What about you?"

"My parents divorced. Mom had been away for her job in the military for awhile. My brother, he shut down. My sister though, we share the same dad, but she was born with a different mother. She's nice though, we would meet each other in secret, and hang out. As for my Dad. No one knows what happened to him other than the fact that he moved to another country."

"What happened to your sister then?"

"She went missing. Maybe Dad pulled her away from seeing me again. Or maybe she had better things to deal with. Things were getting lonely ever since. Say, you're the first one who actually heard me."

"I'm Lian Harper. What about you, bud?" Asked Lian. The two shook hands. "Joseph. Joseph Wilson." A sign of an immediate friendship.

"This is the first time I have spoken to a girl, besides my sister." Joseph admits.

"First time I have spoken to a guy. I'll have to admit, most guys are scared of me because I beat them up. Like I said, I was a bit of a troublemaker." They are each other's first friends.

Both of them chuckled nervously. Then the two paid for their orders and left the café. They continued to have a friendly conversation.

"So, you're the only girl in the kickboxing club?" Asked Jospeh.

"Yeah. Not many girls wanted to participate. My dad taught me self-defense when I was 6. If you see him sparring with my uncles, you'll see him how much of a badass he was." Lian replied.

"You know, now I'm curious to see."

"Hey, can I call you, Joey? Or Joe? I feel like your first name is a bit too formal." Lian asked. Joseph, never having friends before, wanted a nickname. Too simple, but also likeable.

"Sure. Either one is fine." Joseph accepts. Already the two felt like they are best friends for a long time as they get along.Suddenly as they reached the rendezvous point to where Lian's home is at, a group of teenage boys surrounded the two.

"Well, well. Look who it is, Little Red soon-to-be dead Hood." The leader of the rogue teen said, he was an inch taller than Lian and Joseph.

Joseph is baffled and a bit frightened of what's going on. "Um, Lian. What's going on?" Lian stood in front of her new friend to defend him. But also smirked as if she has no problem with those people. "Short version, just the jerks I mentioned earlier."

"That many?!" Joseph exclaimed. Lian pats him by the shoulder. "Don't worry. I got this." Then she turned to the rogue teens before her. They appeared to be sophomore students, twice their sizes.

"Too bad this'll be the last night we met, Harper!" Said the leader.

"Come on, guys. I beat you before. You should just give up before you get your noses broken...again." Lian stated, slamming her fist to her palm.

"Hold on, can't we just work things out?" Joseph try to intervene for his new friend. But had no idea how dangerous that even people around their age was.

"Aw, look. Looks like she's got a boyfriend." One of the gang members laughed. "Not my boyfriend." Lian rolled his eyes, while Joseph choked in embarrassment. "Alright, your funeral." Lian scoffed. "Joey, get back. This is gonna get messy."

"Okay? Get her." The leader ordered his gang. Two of the Rogue Teens went after her, running at her like predators. But Lian parried one of rheir fists and threw him over. Joseph is shocked to see how strong she was learning kickboxing. Then Lian does a kick with a twirl on another rogue's face.

"It's the same fight, every night." Lian sighed blowing her hair from her forehead.

"Okay, on the one hand. That was cool." Joseph told Lian. Lian smiled. Not paying attention that more were on their way toward her. Joseph see them coming. "On the other hand... Watch out!"

Lian reacted to look behind and kicked her leg back at the abdomen of another teen rogue. Then another one came at her with a crowbar. "Take this, Harper!" But Lian managed to take the crowbar and threw it away before punching at the rogue.

Then more was about to attack the two teens, until an arrow was shot. Landed by the arrowhead between Lian and the gang. It exploded only as smoke after blinking lights, causing Lina and the gangsters to jolt.

"What the-?!" The gang leader gasped.

"Enough!" A voice shouted.

"Look up there!" They all looked up tk see a green, hooded figure. Arrows on the back, a bow, and a mask.

"Damn it, it's Green Arrow!"

"I thought he was dead!" Indeed, there was a report that Green Arrow was dead in a dangerous mission. Lian had idolized Star City's dynamic duo, Green Arrow and Speedy. Joseph thought his eyes were playing tricks as everyone knew the hero was dead.

"Joey, are you seeing this?" Lian said to him.

"It can't be." Joseph gasped. Green Arrow lands in frotn of them. His hood was removed to reveal a young man with dark skin. Blonde hair. Lian looked at the new archer with amzement.

"You all better go home. Nobody wants more kids fighting in the night! Do this again, and it's jail for you next time." Green Arrow warned. The rogues were scared off and ran before anything else happens.

Not the Green Arrow we all knew, but he's so cool.

"Let's get out of here!"

"You okay? It looked like a storm in this fight." Joseph asked. Then a rock was thrown at Joseph befire Lian caught it with her hand before it hit him. "Whoa!" Lian looked at the gang with a glare for almost hurting her first friend. "Jerks!" She shouted.

"This isn't over, Harper!" They all scrambled out of the alleyway. Green Arrow looked back to them. The kids were too amazed to realized that Green Arrow was just concerned for the fact that they could've been injured because of that fight.

"What were you kids thinking? You two could've been hurt if I hadn't gotten here." Green Arrow said sternly.

"Y-you're Green Arrow! Are you new here?! I mean, you scared those guys in a second!" Lian exclaimed in excitement.

"It can't be, you're back, and alive! The news said you were dead." Joseph said. "But I can't believe we now see you, standing right in front of us! Are you really Green Arrow?"

"You two might want to go home. Curfew is already cut." Green Arrow then shifts his bow into a crossbow and shoots a grappling hook on the rooftop and pulled away from the ground. "Have a good night!" He said to the two teens.

Lian stared at Green Arrow for a few seconds. Joseph does the same. "I guess he's the new guy holding the mantle."

From that moment, I realized who I wanted to be when we saw Green Arrow. Someday, I will have the answers I wanted to ask for so long.

"Lian!" She heard a voice. It was a man with a similar haircolor asbher, but with a white streak. It was her father, Will. "Dad! Over here!" Lian waved.

"That's your dad?" Joseph asked. Will then wraps Lian with a hug. He was angry that Lian was on a fight again. But at the same time, he was glad that she is alive. "I know I should be angry right now, but thank god you're okay!"

"Dad, I'm fine. You worry too much." Lian sighed, her face pressed against him while stuck in a hug. Then he lets go of his daughter, and looked at her new freind.

"Hello, sorry I didn't see you there. Your daughter is pretty cool for saving me." Joseoh troed to find words carefully. Will did not expect Lian to have made a friend, given that she didbnot have any friends on Star City due to her nature of trust issues.

"Dad, this is Joseph." Lian introduced her friend to her father. Joseph shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Nice to meet you too, Joseph. Do you knkw where you live? I can drive you home of you want." Then he turned to Lian. "Also, Lian. What were you thinking getting into a fight again? You know how dangerous it was to rush get involved."

"Dad! They started it! They were about to beat us up!" Lian retorted. Her dad sighs, knowing it was self-defense. "Sorry, sweetie. I know. You did well in protecting yourself. It was my fault that I have to come home late from work." Will blamed himself for not seeing this. But the good thing was that he taught her how tondefend herself with the skills Green Arrow taught him.

"If your mom would be here right now, she'd be grinning." Will's words slipped out of nowhere. Lian heard this and decided to ask this.

"Dad. You mentioned Mom again. Can you tell me more?" The scene paused. But Will said nothing. "Well. Your grounded for two weeks. But before that, let's get you two home. Joseph, do youn have your parents' number?" Asked Will.

"Just my mom's. I can give it to you if you want." Joseph answers.

"Okay, good. Thank you." Will said as Joseph writes down his mother's number. Then thevtwo teens got inside Will's car in a snowy night. Lian and Joseph looked at each other. "Honestly, thisbis the best night ever. I can't believe you were this good. And your dad is pretty cool." Joseph admits.

"Told ya, Dad taught me for what it takes. World's not a place for kids like us." Lian panted from exhaustion. "Sorry for bringing you into this." Lian apologized. Feeling bad for unintentionally walking Joseph into a dangerous pathway.

"It's not so bad. Glad I met you. Like I said, wish I could've learn from you."

"If you want, I can teachbyku a thing or two about kicking butt." The two laughed at the joke before realxing. Lian held out her hand. "BFFs? Come on, shake on it." Lian said.

Joseph was glad to have a friend for the first time. But who knows how long this friendship will hold in the future. Joseph grasped onto her hand. Solidifying their friendship. "Friends for life." He replied.


Author's note: Earth 16's version of Lian Harper is freinds with Joseph "Joe" Wilson, the son of Deathstroke, while also searching for answers about her mother.