Issue 2: "Forked Tongues"

They were cornered, Green Arrow and his ex-CIA buddy, Eddie Fyers. Trapped by Kobra soldiers called Lanceheads. They were foot soldiers in a war they believed to be in the middle of, a war that, when won, would bring a new era to first America, and then the world. With them were a dozen of King Kobra’s elite strike force - the Black Adders, poised and ready to join their brothers in claiming their prize… Eddie Fyers.

“Any chance we can come to some kind of peaceful resolution to this?” Green Arrow asked as his eyes circled the rooftop, smoke filling the air around them as the fire from the hospital next door was carried, by the wind, in their direction.

The First Naga smirked. “Of course there is. Mr. Fyers comes with us quietly and you take a flying leap off the side of the building.”

Eddie shrugged. “At this point, I could live with that.”

“I think I’m starting to understand why you didn’t make it in the CIA. Look, you son of a bitch,” Ollie said, addressing the Kobra leader, “I don’t know why you want my friend here so badly, but blowing up a hospital to bring him out in the open was a stupid move. You’re going to pay for this sick act.”

The First Naga rolled his eyes beneath his hood. “Enough talk… take them,” he ordered his men.

The words were barely out of the terrorist’s mouth before Ollie was letting loose not one, but two arrows. The first one struck the roof in front of four Lanceheads and a brilliant flash of light burst forth. They cried out in shock and stumbled back, while the second arrow pierced the hand of the First Naga, causing him to cry out in pain and drop his own weapon.

Gunfire erupted from the other soldiers as the Black Adders began throwing their razor-sharp stars. Eddie dove to the ground, his gun firing and hitting two more Lanceheads. Green Arrow leapt into the air, diving forward and rolling out of the way of the incoming attack. He was able to make it behind a ventilation shaft where he could catch his breath, but he only had seconds, he realized, as Eddie was still out in the open.

He could also hear the sirens from the street below and this made him even angrier. The cries for help, the shouting of commands from both the police and fire units, were causing a rage to build inside him. The sick bastards, Kobra, had created this destruction, this chaos, in his city, and they were going to pay!
Green Arrow pulled out two more arrows and came up over the metal barrier that was protecting him, firing both shafts at the same time. He ducked back again, knowing that his aim had been true, and it was. One steel-tipped arrow had struck one of the Black Adders who was making his way towards Eddie, while the other arrow had arched to the left and struck a Lancehead in the thigh. The wind, the heavy smoke, was working in their favor, but for how long.

“They’re two men, you fools, take them!” he heard the leader shout, a hint of pain still in his voice.

“A little help over here,” Eddie called out as he fired his weapon blindly and crouched low, making his way in the opposite direction of Ollie and towards the air conditioning unit, trying to get cover.

Ollie started to rise again, ready to fire two more arrows, when he was suddenly struck in the back by a Black Adder. He went flying forward and into the line of fire again. He swung around to see the ninja flying towards him, his leg out in front of him. Green Arrow reacted quickly, letting his bow drop as he sidestepped and brought his arms out, clasping the outstretched leg at just the right second and twisting it until he heard the pop from the knee of the man dressed in black who let out a small grunt of pain.

“Thanks for teaching me that one, Pretty Bird,” Arrow mumbled to himself as he brought his fist down into the side of the fighter’s face and knocked him unconscious.

He looked up to see that Eddie had made it to relative safety, just as a bullet whizzed by his head. The smoke was getting thicker in the air and he was having a hard time seeing anything. He crouched low just as he caught a glimpse of a figure making his way towards the other end of the air conditioning unit, trying to come up behind Eddie. He went to shout, but saw a Black Adder making his way from the other side. They were boxing him in!

Green Arrow looked around quickly as he picked up his bow and reached for another special arrow. He saw what he was looking for as he noticed the glint of metal from a flagpole at the side of the building.

He ran to the edge of the roof, firing his arrow up and at the top of the pole. The rope that the arrow was attached to flew behind it, and he leapt off the building, grabbing the rope and adjusting his weight so that he swung out wide, nothing but air and the flashing of emergency vehicles far below him. He circled around and landed right behind the First Naga whose hand was still bleeding, but had drawn a jagged-looking dagger as he crept along the side.

The Naga heard the soft landing behind him and started to turn, but Green Arrow had already pulled out another shaft and slammed his enemy against the metal construct as he put the steel tip against the side of his neck.

“Everybody freeze or I’ll shove this arrow so far into his neck he’ll be a human shish kabob!”

The shooting stopped for a second and, although the smoke was at its thickest, he knew they had taken him seriously.

“Show-off,” Eddie mumbled.

“Take them! My death means nothing! FOR KING KOBRA!” the First Naga shouted.

“Awww….” But the curse never left Oliver’s mouth as he felt a set of nunchucks strike him in the back of his head, and then the world began to spin.

“Arrow!” he heard Eddie cry out from what seemed like a million miles away, and then there was nothing.

Connor Hawke gazed in a respect that bordered on love for the elderly man in front of him. This was harder than he even realized it was going to be. Master Jansen had been many things to him for several years now; a mentor, a friend, a guide, and a father figure. He was having pangs of regret as he shifted the sack that hung on his left shoulder, while his right one carried the bow that he had made nearly a year ago.

As if sensing Brother Hawke’s reservations, Master Jansen laid a hand on the young man’s arm and gave him a light, reassuring squeeze. “You are following the path that your heart has set you upon. Do not hesitate… embrace.”

“I haven’t been out there since I was but a child,” Connor replied, trying desperately to hide the fear that seemed to be knocking at the edges of his brain.

“Yes, it is a different world; a world full of danger and corruption. It is also a world full of much good. You know what you seek, and I believe that if you stay on your heart’s path, you will find what you are searching for at the end of your journey.”

The young blond man stared at the snow-capped mountains in the distance. “I hope you are right,” he replied, no longer able to fight the uncertainty that he felt was consuming him.

“Where are you headed first?” Master Jansen asked.

“South, to Katmandu, and then west, into the heart of India.”

“Then take with you the peace, serenity, and knowledge that you have received here, and remember, Brother Hawke, we shall always be here, if your heart ever desires to return to us.”

Connor Hawke nodded, but could not say anything. A part of it already does, he thought to himself. He turned then and left his home, knowing to say any more, or stay any longer, could cause him to change his mind; something he did and didn’t want to do.

Tied to a chair, stripped down to his boxers, blood pouring from his nose and his mouth, and all that Eddie could think of was that he had been here, done this, before. He was ex-CIA, or at least he was in his own eyes, so this sort of predicament was not uncommon for him. He did wonder, however, what had happened to Ollie.

“The King is coming,” hissed one of his guards. “You would be wise to tell him what he wants to know.”

“Nice little hissing noise you’ve got there, you really believe in getting into the role, don’t you?”

“You’re as obnoxious as your partner,” King Kobra said as he entered the room; a cart with some kind of electronic device was being wheeled in behind him.

Eddie’s hopes soared at the comment; Ollie might still be alive! “Your first comment and it’s already wrong. I’m much more obnoxious than he is.”

King Kobra stared at the man for several moments; Eddie made sure to keep his eyes focused on the blackness under the hood of the robe. He wasn’t about to be intimidated, not at this late date in his life.

“You know why we’ve been searching for you?” It was a statement as much as a question.

“I have a good idea,” Eddie replied coldly.

“I give you only one chance. If you do not tell me where it is, then we will begin the motivational part of our program.”

In spite of himself, Eddie laughed at the statement. “Motivational is it? Fancy word for torture, but I guess I should play along and say the obligatory $%#@ you so we can get on with this.”

Eddie watched the leader of Kobra grip his staff tighter, and he couldn’t help but smile to himself. It was nice to know that sometimes the classics could still press the right buttons.

King Kobra motioned for the equipment to be wheeled forward, and soon Eddie was hooked up with electrodes on various parts of his body.

The leader of the terrorist organization nodded and one of his followers threw the switch. Eddie had vowed not to cry out; he was trained to withstand massive amounts of pain. Yet, as the electricity coursed through some of the most tender areas of his person, he couldn’t help but scream out.

“Now tell me,” King Kobra said, leaning down into the man’s face when the machine was shut off, “where did you hide the Staff of Shesha?”

Eddie, whose head had been down while he tried to catch his breath and ignore the pain that was still working its way through his body, looked up and grinned. “You know, I’m going to kill you second… right after the guy over there that’s throwing the switch.”

King Kobra let out a low chuckle and motioned for his lackey to throw the switch again; he did, and Eddie let out another cry of pain.

Eddie’s blood felt like it was boiling, the pain was becoming nearly unbearable, but he refused to say anything at this point. Refused, or was slightly afraid, he wasn’t sure, but, either way, he kept his mouth closed.

The Kobra King stood looking down at him, the hood of his robe masking any facial features. Finally he threw up his hands in disgust, beginning to pace back and forth as he thought for a moment.

“I should have realized that torture would not work on a CIA agent,” the King mused.

Ex, Eddie thought to himself, but kept his mouth shut.

“So, instead, I’m going to take the higher road here and offer you exactly what you are looking for, in exchange for what I am looking for. I want to know what you did with the Staff… and you want to know what happened to your daughter.”

Eddie’s head shot up on instinct, the words coming out of his mouth before his brain was actually functioning. “What do you know about my daughter?!” He couldn’t see the smile under the hood, but he felt it, and it disgusted him that this terrorist had gotten under his skin.

“I know where Mia is, and how she got there. If you tell me what I want to know, I will give this information to you. I’m willing to bet that when you find out where she is, you’ll want nothing more to do with this, rescuing her will be your only drive.”

There was more than slight mocking in his tone, causing Eddie to struggle against his bonds for the first time. “Do you think I’m stupid? As soon as I tell you where your precious staff is hidden, you’re going to tell me what I want to know, and then kill me anyway.”

The Kobra King considered this for a moment and then nodded. “Very true, you will die one way or the other. However, I will give you my word that the archer will go free. I will inform him where your daughter is located, and how she got there. He will make sure that she is rescued.”

“Rescued? She’s in danger?” Eddie asked. He was becoming ashamed of himself. He was playing right into the madman’s hands… but this was his daughter… his flesh and blood.

“I’m sure she is alive, but that is about all I know on her condition. If you want to know more, tell me what I want to know. Tell me where the Staff of Shesha is and I will help you save your daughter!”

Eddie struggled. He had still been working for the CIA when the weapon had been found, and he was not a fool. That staff was a powerful weapon; but after everything that had been done to him by the CIA… after the entire Starro crisis… he barely had any loyalty left. His loyalty to a daughter he had never met was much, much stronger.

“We never moved it,” he stated.

King Kobra leaned forward. “What?”

“It’s still in Karnataka.”

“Where?” King Kobra hissed with a growing passion.

“Where is my daughter?” Eddie demanded.

“That answer is not to be given yet, but I will tell you that at one time she was being cared for by Tai Lee.” Eddie’s reaction to the name made King Kobra chuckle. “So you have heard of him. Good, then you understand. Now, where in Karnataka is the staff. Tell me, and then I will tell you where your daughter is now, before I kill you. Then I will allow the bowman to be released so that he may retrieve her for you.”

It was at that moment that an explosion was heard from the hallway outside. Kobra agents raised their weapons and headed for the door.

“Sounds like the cavalry to me there, King,” Eddie said.

“NO!” the leader shouted to his men. “We have been compromised. You two, come with me. We shall use the escape exit. If the American Government left the staff in India, then my guess is that it is still somewhere in the ruins of Vijayanagra. We shall go there ourselves. You,” he said, pointing to the torturer. “Kill this one and then leave. Inform the others to make their way to the sacred temple and wait for the rest of us to join them.”

The Kobra agent bowed deeply as he watched his master leave, and then turned to face his victim with a small grin.

Eddie grinned back. “You are so dead.”

To Be Continued![/b]