DC Comics Presents: Killing Roy Harper
Chapter 2: Batgirl and Green Lantern
By Christopher W. Blaine
e-mail: darth_yoshi@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: Batgirl™, Green Lantern™ and all other related characters and situations used in this story are ©2002 by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for non-profit, fan-related entertainment purposes only. This original work of fiction is ©2002 by Christopher W. Blaine and may not be reproduced in any form, in part or as a whole, without the express permission of the author.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story was originally published to the internet under the title DC Comics Presents: Batgirl and Green Lantern. It has been revised and updated by the author,
It seemed that hell had been visited upon Earth.
Roy Harper notched another arrow, a fire-extinguishing one, and aimed it for a flaming doorway. He could just make out the frightened faces of the children trapped inside the burning building As he let the arrow fly, he knew that it was a futile gesture at best, something to make him feel like he was making a difference.
A human-like shape fell to the ground in front of him with a thud, and he saw it was his teammate, Wonder Girl. He and Donna Troy had been friends for what had seemed like forever, since they had helped form Young Justice. As time went on they had become even closer. Had he not married Katana of the Outsiders, he imagined that Donna Troy would have become his wife.
Now, Donna was dead. His wife was also dead, killed with the rest of the Justice Society when the armored man had attacked the JSA Embassy in Metropolis. There had been no time to contact the European branch of the team, but Roy could not have known that the armored man had already dispatched them as well. As he stood and faced his death, the armored man touched down with a slight clang, his navy-blue cloak wrapped around him, hiding his body from view.
"Begin log," the stranger said into the air, the voice activating hidden recording devices in his armor. "Variant reality 123.76B, final mission report. Variant reality splits along several places from the main timeline. The most notable is the failure of the colonists to defeat the British forces in the American Revolution. Costumed adventurers are as commonplace as anywhere else; the notable exception being that there is no Superman as this reality still has an intact planet Krypton. The closest they have is a Daxamite woman whose name was Lara Gand. This reality's Harper is…"
"I'm right here, you bastard! What do you want? Why did all of these people have to die?" Roy demanded.
The armored man reached out and grabbed Roy by the neck and picked him up. The hero, crying and spitting, began cursing. "You have no idea what you are, do you?" the man asked.
His reply was only an oath to see him dead. "You son of a bitch, I'll kill you! Who are you? Who the hell are you? I deserve to know who the killer of my family is!"
Eyes hidden behind the helmet rolled as if the request were borderline stupidity. "I'm not going to tell you, Mr. Harper, because it doesn't matter. Do you think that as I'm squeezing your neck, that your life is about to end? Don't you realize you never had a life, that this is a reflection of some other life? You are nothing but a passing thought in the mind of a God who simply doesn't care." With that statement, servomotors the size of atoms whirled and increased the strength of the armored man's grasp, and within seconds, Roy was dead. His body was dumped unceremoniously.
The sound of clapping was so out of place in this hellish environment that the armored man had to turn around. There stood the black and red form of Extant, a would-be time-conqueror and associate. "Where have you been?" the man asked, walking over.
Extant surveyed the damage. "Don't you think this obsession with Harper is a little too much? I mean, he never amounted to anything…"
"And what about your obsession with the Justice Society? As I recall, you have yet to defeat them and so far, you never will," the man answered back. "Let's say that Harper owes me more than you can possibly know."
Extant changed the subject. "I've retained the services of a man to carry out your request, though I don't see why you don't do it yourself."
"I have my reasons," the man replied. "Are you sure that this person can handle it? Do they understand what they are doing?" The questions had to be answered precisely; nothing could be left to chance. "Does he realize who you are?"
Extant shook his head, indicating that he was weaving a clever deception, or so he thought.
"It must be done on a particular night in a particular year, and it must be done right!" the man exclaimed, turning to wave a finger at Extant. "This night is not only important, it is perfect! The city's protector and his partner are out of the country, pursuing some foe or another…it will be years before he will establish the 'family'…"
"I'm telling you the truth, GL, I swear!" the thug said, sweat mixing with the blood from his broken lip. A giant green boxing glove had just interrupted he and his partner's career move from petty thieves to bank robbers. "You've got bigger fish to fry than us!"
Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, considered the thief's information. If it turned out to be useful, it would indeed allow him to nail the "bigger fish", but he wasn't about to let these guys go either.
He was far from the urban jungle that was a melting pot of crime and deviant behavior. No, this was the nicer area of the city, really part of the county, where he kept his original home which he had purchased in 1938.
He was fast approaching his eighties but luckily he had been exposed to "chronal" energy during World War 2, as had most of the members of the All-Star Squadron, and he aged much slower. As it stood he looked like he was in his mid to early forties, but the aging process was starting to speed up. He had begun to notice aches and pains in places that had never hurt before.
The ring on his finger granted him the ability to transform his will into reality with an added green hue. There were other Green Lanterns, he had recently found out, including a much younger man who was part of the Justice League of America. He claimed to represent a body of 3600 Green Lanterns, dispersed throughout the galaxy, but Alan had never even heard of them.
Both he and his younger counterpart had power rings that relied on a 24-hour charge supplied by a power battery. Both had rings that focused the bearer's willpower. But, whereas Alan's was magical in nature, the new Lantern's ring was technical. Being an engineer, Alan found it infuriating at times that he didn't end up with the piece of fantastic science, instead of something powered by a force he didn't even begin to understand.
Here he was, letting his thoughts drift off again. His father had told him as he got older, he'd spend more time thinking. "I'm going to trust you on this, son, but that doesn't mean I'm through with you. Now, gather your tools and start marching. We're going to find the nearest police officer."
The thug seemed completely shocked. "Walk? You gotta be kidding me? It's miles until we hit the city limits…why can't you just fly us there?"
Alan actually felt bad for a second; the quality of criminal had certainly gone downhill since he went into semi-retirement.
The bat signal burned into the night sky of Gotham City, a visible warning to the criminal element that the police were calling in their secret weapon. Other cities laughed and scoffed at the thing and the official statement was that it was a tourist attraction. The city government would never acknowledge that the Batman even existed, let alone that they used him in the war on crime.
"Must have cost a fortune to have this built and lugged all of the way up here. Can't find a manufacturer's tag or data plate anywhere on it. How do you know it's safe?" Green Lantern asked.
"If the Batman gives to us, its safe. I've never met anyone who values life more than he does." The Commissioner looked off into the night. "Damn him, where is he? I'm sorry, Green Lantern, but I can't stand here and wait. If the information you brought to us is correct, I've got a madman out there with enough explosives to bring down city hall!" The commissioner threw down his cigarette and went over to the switch to turn off the signal. "He must be busy. Any chance you might know where he's at?"
Green Lantern shook his head slowly. "Sorry, but I barely know the man myself. I'm in retirement now…operating mostly with the Society when it needs me. I just happened along on this one, sir."
A downcast look overtook the lawman's face. "I was afraid of that. What I wouldn't give for a Superman right now," he said, shutting down the lamp. "You coming in?"
"Can I wait here in case he does show up? If he isn't here in a few more minutes, I'll contact the Justice League or…"
Gordon held up a hand to cut him off. "Thank you, Green Lantern; anything you can do will be appreciated."
As the commissioner stepped back into the warmth of the building's interior, Green Lantern pondered what he was doing. The Batman was notorious for protecting his city from other super-heroes, but Green Lantern did not feel that applied to him. He was the first super-hero of Gotham City and didn't require anybody's permission. While that sounded good in an argument, he had to admit that the actions of the Caped Crusader had earned him the right to call it his city.
After a few moments, the ring-slinger decided it would be best to head out when he noticed a figure moving in the darkness. There was the swish of a cape and the familiar pointed ears of the cowl. When the figure entered into some light, though, Green Lantern was shocked to see it wasn't a Batman. "If that's a costume change, Batman, I must say it works for me," the older hero chided.
Batgirl blushed. "My gosh, you're the Green Lantern!"
He liked the sound of that, the Green Lantern; as in the one, true Green Lantern. "I assume that you are Batwoman?"
"Batgirl, actually, sir," she said, a careful eye taking him in. There was nobody who lived in Gotham City that did not know about its most famous citizen. The man standing before her in the red and green costume had been a legend decades before she had been a twinkle in her father's eye. He was Gotham City in a sense, a city from the not-so-distant past when the lines between right and wrong weren't so blurred. "I came when I saw the Bat-signal."
Green Lantern nodded. "Are you his partner? Is he coming?"
She was quiet for a moment and there was a concerned expression on her face. It showed her true age and Green Lantern realized that despite what the costume and the body inside it looked like, this was just a girl, barely into her "womanly" years. He had not heard of this Batgirl, but that was no surprise. The goings on of the super-hero community had lost their appeal for him years ago. "No, I just sort of tag along," she said sheepishly.
It was then that Green Lantern remembered the boy in the orange vest. That was the Batman's partner. Then who was she? His daughter? His lover?
If the Batman was willing to even let this girl tag along, then he was sure she could take care of herself. "Well, Batgirl, listen, since Batman hasn't shown up, we have to assume that he's busy with something important. Do you know how to get a hold of Robin?"
He knew immediately it had been the wrong thing to say and he quickly tried to fix the situation. "I only meant that maybe he knew where the Batman was at." That seemed to help, but she had no idea of where he was either. Funny, he would imagine the two of them would be close. If she was half as pretty as the costume made her out to be, she was probably beating the boys off with a bat.
He nearly smacked himself at the pun.
"Sorry, sir, but I'm all you have and I'm sort of part time," she said with a slight smile, trying to seem positive.
"That's okay, so am I," he said, holding out his hand. She took it and he noticed that while her grip was firm, it was most definitely feminine. "Let me explain the situation. Tonight, I stopped a couple of guys trying to break in to a branch of the Bank of Gotham City. One of them told me about a guy with an eye patch that bought a whole mess of explosives from their dealer just tonight. Not just a few sticks of dynamite, but cases and cases of the stuff, enough to bring down a good sized building."
Batgirl rubbed her chin in thought. "An eye patch? That does narrow it down a bit if it's a professional insurance job."
Green Lantern shook his head. "Why blow up a building, it's easier to just burn it down."
"Yes, but relations between the United States and several Middle eastern nations have been tense lately; well, tense for awhile…this could be blamed on terrorists."
"In Gotham City?" Green Lantern laughed.
Her silence was his reply. Just what kind of madmen were the Batman and his team facing at night? "For that matter, it could be a run-of-the-mill nutcase," she said.
"The guy I caught didn't think so; said the guy seemed to cool and professional. He paid with diamonds of all things. Said he had white hair and a goatee as well."
Batgirl shook her head. "If I had the time, I could probably find out who it is. The Batman keeps files on all of the worst terrorists in the world, as well as professional assassins. I've been meaning to pay more attention…"
Green Lantern smiled. "It's okay; hell, you're a step ahead of me."
She visibly brightened at the compliment and then moved over to the edge of the building. He watched her walk and noticed something odd. "You're a dancer, aren't you?"
Batgirl whirled around. "How did you know?" She had taken ballet for years before becoming a crime fighter. "I've never told anyone."
"I used to date a dancer. Sweet girl. She died though a few years back," he said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, what happened? An accident?"
He stepped up next to her and took in the view. "No. Old age."
It was like a dream come true for Barbara Gordon, the young woman in the Batgirl costume. She was riding her Batcycle through the dark streets of Gotham City, with the original Green Lantern hovering only ten feet above her, keeping pace. When she had decided to emulate Gotham City's greatest crime fighter, she knew she would become part of a very proud heritage that included her mentor, the Batman, but also the man above her as well. No other hero was so revered in the super-hero world as Green Lantern, except for Superman.
She didn't know where Batman was at, or Robin, and she had to admit she had felt slighted when Green Lantern had wanted to speak to them instead of her. It made sense, though; Batgirl certainly wasn't a household name, even in Gotham City. At best, she was donning the costume once a month now, as her private life began to take precedence. School was the most important, as she wanted her doctorate badly and quickly. The Batman had understood, and secretly, Barbara believed, was happy that she wasn't out in the field as much. He knew her secret identity, daughter of Commissioner James Gordon, and he seemed to take her being Batgirl very personally.
When she had first become Batgirl, he had wanted her to quit. She had said no. Then he had demanded to train her, which had been okay. The teaming with the Teen Wonder, Robin, had been even better!
A flying bug missed her windshield and became her evening meal, bringing her out of her thoughts as they entered another district. Batgirl pulled the cycle over to a curb, while Green Lantern descended in an emerald glow. She spit out the carapace of her snack and smiled at Green Lantern. "I always spit first…it's for good luck."
He nodded. "Why are we stopping here?"
She pointed across the street to a hospital. There was not a lot of traffic for there being one here. "Private hospital, " she said, as if reading his mind. "Big and full of rich and important people. Some crime bosses even get treated here once in awhile. I know for a fact that a distant member of the Bertinelli crime family is here having plastic surgery done."
"Mob hit?" Green Lantern asked, intrigued by the other hero's knowledge. "Awful lot of explosive for just one person."
"If you're willing to kill one person, why not a hundred?" Batgirl asked. "Work with the Batman long enough, and you'll come to understand that humans are capable of the most depraved and indecent acts imaginable. Some of the scum we have to deal with make the Nazi's look like Cub Scouts."
"You obviously never fought Baron Blitzkrieg, " Green Lantern returned as he stepped closer to the hospital. "I know about the Bertinelli's; they were very powerful during the forties. Black Canary and I had quite a few run-ins with them. Used to make them so mad, having a woman come in and beat up on them."
Irritated, Batgirl commented in sarcastic tones. "Oh yes, I suppose she should have been home barefoot and pregnant."
Green Lantern refused to be baited. "Nothing wrong with a woman being barefoot or pregnant, young lady; it was just a different time is all. You had to be there."
Batgirl let the matter drop, and Green Lantern took notice of it. This girl had been raised to respect her elders. "What's the plan, Batgirl?"
"There are only two places to plant the explosives…"
"The roof or the basement," Green Lantern said, finishing the sentence. "It will be easier for me to check the roof."
She nodded. "I'll have to sneak into the basement, so it might be a few minutes…"
"I take it you members of the 'bat-family' aren't welcome here?"
She began checking her utility belt as she explained that because of the reputed mobsters that were often treated here, the Batman was most definitely considered an unwelcome guest. Since she had chosen to associate herself with the Caped Crusader, that made her just as prone to be refused entrance. "However, a hero of your caliber might get us in the front door," she said with a grin. "It's not every day that a living legend comes walking through the door."
He began to blush slightly. He was not used to pretty young women saying such wonderful things about him. At least he hadn't been used to it for about forty years. "Probably not a good idea. I don't like to use my 'status' as a way of getting things done. Being a hero means being humble sometimes. It's very easy to get caught up in your own hype sometimes, Batgirl. I've seen it before, good heroes so full of themselves that when they fall, they don't get back up. I've done many things in my long career, " he started to look up into the stars, as if they were part of a congregation. "I've made a lot of friends and I've seen a lot of them die. But, I've also seen common people do heroic things as well, from police officers to doctors, to the mailman who does his duty every day regardless of the weather. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, or maybe I haven't lost the ideals of my youth, but I still feel that the title of super-hero is something that weighs heavily upon me.
"You're still young Batgirl, and you have your whole life ahead of you. I know you consider yourself a part-time hero, but if everyone did just a little good now and again, think of how great a world this would be. But, if you let the idea that you are somehow better than those you want to help get lodged in your brain, it starts to fester like an open sore. It will infect your personality. Like I said, I've seen it before…God! Listen to me! We need to get going," he said as he began to float up into the sky. "I'll check the rooftop and meet you back here in twenty minutes."
She watched him fly off, his glow eerie in the cold darkness. She was beginning to understand what it must be like to be someone others looked up to, and she wondered briefly if anyone would ever look up to Batgirl?
Slade Wilson worked quickly to finish the electrical circuit that would set off the explosives he had planted around the roof of the hospital. As Deathstroke the Terminator he was the world's deadliest mercenary and assassin, and something as simple as blowing up a building seemed somehow beneath him.
As an officer in the United States army, Wilson had volunteered for drug experiments meant to allow him to resist truth serums, but something had gone wrong. Instead, the chemicals had caused him to develop enhanced strength, speed, endurance and intelligence. A soldier by profession, he had eventually left the army after a tour in Viet Nam to become a mercenary. With his newfound abilities, he became the highest paid private soldier in the world. The drugs that had given him his powers also slowed his aging process, which guaranteed a long career.
This particular job bothered him deep down in his conscience. He had checked and found out there were no children in the hospital; there were some things he would simply not do. Apparently, this health care facility only catered to adults, which was fine by him. The fact that hundreds could die didn't bother him either, since most were probably criminals anyway. Besides, he was going to call in a bomb threat fifteen minutes before he actually set the explosives off.
Maybe a few bomb squad cops would get killed. That didn't bother him either.
The character that hired him had paid him in gems and diamonds. Paying him up front, before the job was done. Normally, he required only 50% of his fee before going off on a mission, but this character had just handed over the bag full of precious stones without a second thought.
"What kind of madman are you?" came a voice from above and behind him. Deathstroke rolled to his left and turned. As he came up, he pulled his pistol out and fired three rounds in quick succession.
The bullets bounced and pinged away from the glowing green barrier Green Lantern had raised. "Cripes!" Deathstroke said from behind his half black/half orange mask.
Deathstroke pulled a small rod from his belt and it immediately elongated into a metallic battle staff. Deathstroke lunged forward, the stave striking hard against the green force shield Green Lantern projected around himself.
With a thought, Green Lantern began to levitate off of the roof, hoping to put some distance between himself and his attacker. He hadn't gotten a few feet before Deathstroke jumped high and the Emerald Gladiator took a kick to the midsection. The suddenness of the attack had left him little time to prepare and while he suffered no true physical damage, his concentration had been broken. Perhaps only five years ago, such a thing would never happen.
Deathstroke watched as Green Lantern fell back to roof and somersaulted over his prone form. He had to take the old man out and now, so he could finish the job. If someone saw them fighting up here, it would only be a matter of time before the Gotham S.W.A.T. team showed up and caused him grief. "Old man, you should have stayed home tonight; you're out of your league!"
Green Lantern rolled to his left, just missing a smashing thrust that crumpled roofing material. Deathstroke brought up the stave and pressed a small switch. Immediately, there was a high-pitched whine as the small internal fusion generator came to life. Green Lantern got to his feet and brought his ring arm up. An emerald beam shot from his ring and enveloped Deathstroke's head, cutting of his air supply. He saw the mercenary bring the battle staff up, the end glowing red as it prepared to fire a plasma burst at the hero. Just as Deathstroke went to press the firing stud, a small black metallic object struck his hand throwing his aim off.
The plasma burst shot by Green Lantern's head, causing him to duck by reflex. The loss of thought allowed Deathstroke to escape and he turned to face his newest foe. Batgirl stood there, next to the fire escape ladder, another batarang at the ready. "Put the weapon down!" she cried.
"Phah! An old man and a little bitch! Is this all Gotham has to send at me?" Deathstroke said, throwing the staff down. He began to march towards Batgirl. "Let's see what you got little girl!"
Green Lantern was about to interfere when he caught Batgirl's gaze. This was her fight. As much as the elder hero wanted to think otherwise, this new Gotham City was not his town. Gone were the simpler times, replaced by the madness he was witnessing now. Such things required a different approach and perhaps it was a good idea that there was a new younger, albeit less colorful, Green Lantern to assume the mantle of responsibility.
Batgirl assumed a defensive stance, and Deathstroke laughed. "You don't realize just how bad this is going to hurt. I won't kill you, because I want you to tell the Batman he's next!" He easily blocked a kick to his face and returned the favor with a series of slaps across the face that sent the young Batgirl flying across the rooftop. Green Lantern started to move to her defense.
"No!" she cried out, blood trickling down her chin from her split lip. "Batman is never going to trust me if I can't hold my own!"
"I hate to tell you sister, but you ain't holding crap!" Deathstroke laughed. "You want another crack at me, old-timer?"
Green Lantern had to mentally count to ten to keep from exploding in rage, but he figured that was what this man wanted anyway. "I leave my light work to her," he said, nodding to the rising Batgirl. She smiled at him and seemed to stand a little straighter.
Deathstroke waved Green Lantern off, as if he were insane, and turned once again to face his prey. Batgirl was only inches away from him, and it threw him off guard for only a second. Dropping down, performing a perfect split, as only a dancer could, she found herself at eye level with Deathstroke's groin. Summoning all of her strength, she punched out, only to find a metal cup hidden behind the orange leather.
The mercenary laughed as she pulled her fist back and then she spun her legs around. Deathstroke nimbly avoided the leg sweep and came down to a three-inch heel being thrust upwards into his pelvis. The boot heel, combined with her strength and his downward momentum, defeated the protection the cup provided. In shock and in pain, Deathstroke, the Terminator went down. Batgirl stood up and looked down on the fallen form. "Don't call me a bitch."
Green Lantern couldn't help but smile.
Early the next morning, after the police had arrived to remove the planted explosives, a unique meeting took place. A newly arrived Batman stood next to Batgirl, who seemed especially "chipper" while speaking to a young man in a black and green uniform of a member. The elder Lantern, standing next to his younger counterpart, was busy bringing Batman up to date.
"We turned our back for only a second and the guy disappeared. I searched the whole area with my ring, but I couldn't find him."
The Batman nodded and then laid a hand on Batgirl's shoulder. "You need to go home." She looked disappointed and then turned to the young Green Lantern, as if hoping for some support. When he shrugged his shoulders she simply accepted defeat. She gave the older Lantern a hug and thanked him for his help and then disappeared down the fire escape.
"Cute girl; how old is she?" Hal Jordan, the younger Green Lantern asked.
"Too young," came the reply from both of the heroes.
Jordan held up his hands in defense. "Sorry. Look, I didn't come here to pick up babes anyway…I heard on the news that Green Lantern was spotted in Gotham City and I thought the old fella could use some help."
"Go away," the older Lantern said.
Jordan laughed, and then nodded to Batman. "Sorry to have intruded, I'll call next time!" Then, surrounded by a green energy field, the Corpsman rocketed into the sky.
There was a moment of silence before Batman started to speak. "About you being here…"
Scott cut him off. "First off, let's get something straight: you're dark knight routine is good, it works really well, but I lived through times you can't even imagine, young man. Second, this was my city long before you came along and I don't remember you asking my permission if you could operate here." Scott paused and he thought he detected the hint of a smile coming from the Batman. "Third, you can have it. I'm going back to New York. If that young woman is any hint of the quality of people you are surrounding yourself with, then I know this great city is in good hands. She's a barn burner, that's for sure."
"Full of piss and vinegar?" Batman asked, an almost sarcastic tone to his voice.
"I'm not some damn prospector from the gold rush, you know," was the reply. Then his tone got serious. "There is one thing, though; she's desperate to prove herself to you. I don't know what kind of training program you're running, but take it from me; you can't push them without some sort of reward. A simple nod of the head or a kind word will go a long way. If your going to let her operate as Batgirl, then you better start letting her know when you aren't going to be in town. She was lucky this time; whoever that guy was…"
"Deathstroke. Mercenary. Metahuman."
Green Lantern nodded. "Whatever. If I hadn't worn him down just a little, he wouldn't have been caught by her move. She could have been hurt worse or killed."
Batman nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
Green Lantern handed a business card over to the Batman. "That's how you can get a hold of me. I realize you may not think you need advice or help, but it's better to swallow your pride and be prepared than stubborn and dead." The Batman took the card, and without looking at it, put it into a pouch on his utility belt. Without another word, the two separated and went off to their own lives.
"Are you sure about this?" Roy Harper asked the woman seated next to him in the taxicab.
Dinah Lance leaned forward to pay the driver, and Roy couldn't help but take a passing glance at her legs. "Yes, Roy, I'm sure. For the millionth time, I'm sure."
The pair exited the cab and found themselves standing before a non-descript hospital somewhere in Gotham City. Roy didn't know exactly where they were at, and for that matter, he didn't care. All he knew was that he felt very empty on the inside. Dinah reached over and put her arm around him as they walked towards the front door. "This has one of the best addiction counseling programs in the country, believe it or not. Paid for by crime bosses who don't like to have their dirty laundry aired to the public."
Roy only nodded. "Why didn't Ollie come?"
It was Dinah's turn to sigh. Oliver Queen was, officially, Roy's guardian and also the super-hero Green Arrow. Dinah was also a super-hero, the Black Canary, and Roy had once been the teen archer Speedy. For the last few years, the three of them had been, more or less, a team of sorts. Then Oliver Queen had lost his fortune and had begun a crusade to support the "little man" leaving Roy alone to face his adolescent problems.
Dinah only knew part of the truth, Roy knew, only the parts that were obvious. He had been caught a few months before, shooting up heroin, and had to confess to Oliver that he was an addict. Oliver had thrown a fit and used what little money he had to put Roy into rehab. Then, he had stripped away the Speedy title form the young man, leaving him basically an outcast from the super-hero community.
Everyone had looked at him as if he were the poor-little-rich-boy, comparing him to rock singers who committed suicide over the pressure of their fame. It hadn't been fame that had done in Roy Harper; it had been love. The love he had felt for Oliver Queen, the dream father figure who led a secret life of womanizing and expected his young "son" to cover for him. The love he had for this woman, who was only a few years older than him. That was probably the hardest part of all, lying to her when, at the same time, he wanted to be with her. There were other circumstances as well, but right now, with her holding him so close, he couldn't help but dwell on the feelings he had for her.
Deep in his heart, he knew, for a fact, that he loved her more than her lover.
And that was the hardest pill to swallow.
"I still don't see…" Roy began.
"Being clean is not enough, Roy, you also have to understand your problem and what you have to do to keep from getting that way again."
"Who's paying for this?" he asked, looking up at her. He was still growing and she was at least an inch taller than him.
"I am."
The conversation ended there. Not only was he in love with her, he now realized what sort of sacrifice she was making. This program could not be cheap, and neither he nor Oliver had the kind of money it required to be here. He didn't know how she had gotten the money, and he didn't care. If she wanted him to do this, then he would.
"You're an idiot," the armored man said to a baffled Extant. "How could you mess up a plan so simple?"
Extant tried to explain that he hadn't known about Green Lantern. The armored man was unimpressed.
"He was fighting Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern whose ring's weakness is wood! Wood, do you understand? Everybody knows that Alan Scott's ring is weak against wood!"
Extant mumbled something and then turned away. "You act like you know the man."
The armored man began laughing. "You fool! You have no idea what I know…whom I know, why I'm here." The armored man took a deep breath and removed his helmet. He stepped out of the shadows, his red hair dripping with sweat. Extant saw the youthful features, not believing what was before him. "Do you understand now? Do you not see? I've lived until the end of time and returned back to here with the knowledge that my existence was taken from me unfairly! To think that they actually call that narcotic-addicted…scum a hero! If they only knew, if they only knew what kind of pretender he really was! He took my life!"
The man was nearly seething in his rage and it took him a few moments to relax to the point his veins weren't bulging. "I will have my revenge on Roy Harper, whether it takes a thousand years or the rest of eternity, he will die for what he did to me."