Arsenal

"Are you sure you can't come?" Roy Harper asked.

"Positive," Donna Troy responded on the other end of the phone. In the background, Roy could hear Donna's baby Bobby crying. "Bobby's not feeling well and I need to stay with him."

"I understand," Roy said. "I just really wish you could be there. This means a lot to me."

"I know," Donna said. "I just don't think that Sharon could handle watching the baby." She looked over her shoulder as Sharon Tracy attempted to change the baby's diaper. Sharon opened the diaper, looked inside, and ran out of the room screaming.

"Listen," Donna continued. "I'll make it up to you. You know that."

"Yeah," Roy said with a small smile. "Take care of Bobby."

"You know I will. Have fun." Donna's eyes widened as she saw what Sharon was doing. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll talk to you when you get back." She hung up and ran toward Sharon, who was slowly approaching the diaper with garlic and a crucifix around her neck and a flask of holy water in her hand.

"Sure." Roy hung up the phone and turned to Lian. "Well, Donna's not coming. She said the baby's not feeling well." When he saw Lian's face turn concerned, Roy smiled. "Come on. I've got a story to tell you when we get there."

Turk smiled as he checked his bow. Soon. He spun and fired an arrow at a poster attached to a target. The shaft quivered between the eyes of the picture of Roy Harper.

Lian looked around. Apart from her and Roy, the stadium was empty. "Come over here," he said as he led his daughter to the center of the arena. "Go ahead and have a seat." He waited until she was seated and began his story. "It was a long time ago," he said. "I was just a boy, and Brave Bow had brought me here…"

"Do not worry," Brave Bow said as he laid his hand on young Roy Harper's shoulder. "You possess the skills you require. I am sure you will do well."

"Thanks," Roy said. "I'm just nervous."

Brave Bow smiled. "That is natural. Still, your skills are also natural. You will do well," he reiterated and headed for his seat.

Roy swallowed a gulp and looked around. The stadium was packed full due to the special judge.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," the announcer said, "please welcome our very special guest who will be serving as the judge for this afternoon's competition! Direct from Star City, the Green Arrow!" Green Arrow stepped onto the arena floor and waved. Almost quicker than the eye could follow, he whipped his bow out and notched seven arrows. He fired. The arrows each slammed into the bull's-eye of a separate target.

How am I supposed to match that? Roy wondered. He nervously scanned the crowd. Finally he saw Brave Bow sitting in the stands. Brave Bow simply nodded once. Roy tried to draw comfort from his serenity.

After an eternity (or at least that's how it seemed), Roy heard his name called. The smiling Green Arrow walked over and stood behind him. Roy reached out with a shaking hand and grabbed an arrow from his quiver. As he notched it, he thought, How can I shoot like this? Remember what Brave Bow said. Roy waited until the perfect moment and released the arrow. His jaw hit the ground when he saw that it had struck the outer white ring.

"That's impossible," Roy gasped. "That can't be right!"

He looked up as Green Arrow laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't perfect the first time I picked up a bow either. It'll come." Leaving a dumbfounded Roy behind, Green Arrow moved toward the next competitor.

Everyone's attention flew across the stadium as they heard a shout. "Stop him! He's got the gate receipts!" A man in a suit had jumped out of the stands and was running for an exit. Almost faster than the eye could follow, Green Arrow pulled an arrow from his quiver and notched it. He lowered his bow as he saw that an arrow was already pinning the thief's sleeve to the wall of the stadium. He turned and saw Roy lowering his bow.

"That was great," Green Arrow said as he returned to Roy's side. "How did you do that?"

Roy shrugged. "I just did it."

As the crook was led away by the police, Brave Bow appeared at their sides. He'd been examining the arrow Roy had fired at the target. "Green Arrow," Brave Bow said. "Do you have an arrow with an iron head?"

"Sure," Green Arrow said, pulling an arrow out of his quiver. He held it by the shaft with the arrowhead pointing toward Brave Bow. "Why?"

Brave Bow's only response was to touch Green Arrow's arrowhead with the tip of his own and release it. The arrow hung there in mid air.

"It's magnetized!" Roy said, stunned.

"The head is lodestone," Brave Bow explained. "May he have another shot?"

"Sure," Green Arrow said.

Roy snatched up three arrows and fired them at the target. The first struck the dead center of the bull's-eye. The next two also struck the same spot, splitting the arrows that had been fired before.

Green Arrow fought to hide his emotions. Inwardly, he was stunned. When he trusted himself to speak again, he looked down at Roy. "I've been thinking I could use a partner," he began…

"And the rest was history," Roy finished. Lian was sitting there wide-eyed, as she always was when she heard stories about her Grandpa Ollie.

"Wow," she whispered.

Roy stood and took her hand. "Come on, sweetie," he said. "People will start coming in soon and we need to get to the snack room."

Lian smiled at the promise of donuts and the two walked out of the stadium.

High overhead, Turk smiled a grim smile as he watched them leave. He then returned his attention to the bomb he was constructing underneath the stadium's roof.

Later that evening, the stadium had filled. Turk grinned as he looked down from his perch. He silently attached a miniature winch to a rafter and the other end to his belt. Soon it would be time. Very soon now. Below him, the crowd was standing as a blonde he couldn't care less about led them in singing the national anthem. As the applause died down, he started down his line toward the ground.

The master of ceremonies approached a microphone. "It is my great plea-" He broke off in a scream as an arrow flew out of nowhere and stabbed through his shoulder.

Turk coolly strode to the microphone and spoke loudly to be heard over the screaming crowd. "Return to your seats or die! There's a bomb wired to the doors. If anyone goes outside, this building will be destroyed." Slowly, the crowd returned to their seats and sat down. "Excellent," Turk said. "I do not want to hurt any of you. All I want is one thing. Roy Harper. Come out here, Harper, or all of these people die!"

"I'm here." The voice came from behind. Turk whirled around and saw Roy standing there.

"At last." The smile on Turk's face spoke volumes.

"Let these people go," Roy said in a voice that would take no argument. "If your beef's with me, that's fine. Leave these people out of it."

"I think not," Turk replied. "After all, we require a crowd to appreciate our exhibition."

"What are you talking about?" Roy demanded.

"Simple," Turk said with a smile. "Don't you remember?" Roy looked deep into Turk's eyes - an odd blue color…

… and remembered exactly where he'd seen them before.

"I'm just nervous."

Brave Bow smiled. "That is natural. Still, your skills are also natural. You will do well," he reiterated and headed for his seat.

Roy swallowed a gulp and looked around. The stadium was packed full due to the special judge. As the announcer began welcoming Green Arrow, he joined them in craning his neck to see Star City's resident hero. Suddenly he saw a shadow beside him. He looked down to see a little boy with odd blue eyes rummaging through his quiver, which was in a rack beside him. Roy shooed the boy away as Green Arrow raised his bow…

"It was you," Roy said. "All these years, I'd wondered how an arrow with a magnetic tip had found its way into my hand."

Turk smirked. "I had to. After all, I needed Green Arrow distracted while my father increased his bank account."

"So. We get into a little contest and you let these people go."

"Of course," Turk said. "Unless if I win, my final arrow goes through your heart."

"It doesn't look like I have anything to worry about," Roy said.

"By the way, one of your bull's-eyes is the trigger for the bomb," Turk added. "I figured you'd like to know that."

"Great," Roy muttered.

"I'll go first." Almost quicker than the eye could follow, Turk whipped his bow out and fired five arrows at the five targets he'd chosen for himself. Each thudded into the exact center of the bull's-eye.

Turk was grinning as he turned to face Roy. "Now it's your turn." He paled as he saw the boxing glove arrow targeting him.

"Thanks," Roy said as the arrow thudded into Turk's chin. Roy hurried to his targets. From behind, it was easy to see the pressure detonator. Roy shook his head. "You've got to be kidding me," he whispered as he flicked the detonator's switch to off. "If anybody's got a cell phone, call the police," Roy yelled at the crowd. Instantly cell phones appeared in everyone's hands and the sound of dialing filled the arena.

"I'm fine," the announcer snapped at the paramedics. His arm in a sling, he put a smile on his face and walked confidently to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen," he bellowed. "Please welcome our very special guest who will be serving as the judge for this afternoon's competition! Direct from San Francisco, Arsenal!" Roy stepped onto the arena floor and waved. Almost quicker than the eye could follow, he whipped his bow out and notched seven arrows. He fired. The arrows each slammed into the bull's-eye of a separate target.

Roy Harper smiled as he looked into the stands. This time he wasn't looking for Brave Bow, however. He finally located Lian and waved. She waved back. Then, much as Oliver Queen had done years before, he started walking toward the first nervous child who was preparing to shoot.

Next Issue: Roy's old CBI boss, Sarge Steel is missing, and the only person who can find him is Roy! The only question is: does he want to?

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