Green Arrow vol 2.2

I made the drive back to Star City from Midway, where I had been living for the last couple months. The stranger sat in the passenger seat. As I drove into the city, I was greeted with familiar sights which looked strange; everything looked so grungy compared to the stark Midway City, especially the downtown, which was a hodgepodge of new and extremely old buildings.

 

We drove past Star City Collegiate Institute, where I hadn’t been since I left. Suddenly I was paralyzed by a thought: I had missed all my finals! I shook my head, clearing those thoughts out. There were more important things: besides, they’d pity me, with my mother dying and all.

 

We pulled up to Queen Manor, which had been looked after by who-knows-who. I looked at the stranger, who hadn’t said a word the whole ride and offered him my hand.

 

“Thanks.” He gave me a grim smile and shook it. “Be careful,” he cautioned. He was about to take off when I stopped him.

 

“Wait. Who are you?” I asked.

 

He looked back over your shoulder. “The mark you got on the midterm science test was an exceptional one, though you claim to hate the subject; but it gets better.”

 

I looked at him, squinting to see what face I could from under the mask. It dawned on me.

 

“Mr. Allen?” With that he winked at me and took off in a red blur, just like the way he came.

 

Mr. Allen was my science teacher who was in a coma due to an accident that happened to him while he was in Central City. The feeling of amazement washed over me completely: that red guy must really have been him from the future!

 

I crept into the house cautiously. No one was around. I heard a click and turned around, only to be greeted by the face of John Diggle. Despite the circumstances, I managed a grin and he took off his mask, returning the smile. I reached out my hand and he shook his hand.

 

“Where have you been?” John asked, the smile slipping of his face. I explained to him that I needed some time alone, to train and prepare myself for the test. He nodded, his face growing more grim, and when I explained to him about Mr. Allen, he sat down and put his face in his hands. I put my hand on his shoulder. He brought his face back up, a stone cold expression across it.

 

“John, I know this is gonna suck, we have to wait to go after him.” He stood up quickly.

 

“You haven’t been here, Connor, you haven’t seen what he’s been doing to the city. They’re all scared of him, and your absence hasn’t helped. People are calling the Green Arrow a coward, there’s rumors going around that you’re dead or have abandoned Star City…”

 

I looked at the ground, suddenly ashamed about leaving the city.

 

“We have to train. Have to prepare,” I told John. He looked at me.

 

“John, I need you to train me. I’m going to kill him.”

 

He leaned back in the chair and sighed. Somehow, he seemed older. He was definitely more tired than he was when I was here.

 

“John, please, he’s a master fighter a-”

 

“Your father was the same way,” John pointed out, “he wasn’t afraid to do what was necessary to save the city. I’ll do it.” He stood up again and started walking to the library. “Follow me.”

 

Done