Green Arrow #18: "Saying Goodbye"

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Written by: Brian Burchette
Cover by: Gareth Williams
Edited by: Don Walsh[/center]


Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow, has suffered the tragic loss of his best friend Eddie Fyers while trying to save Eddie’s daughter, Mia Dearden. Ollie’s own son, Connor Hawk ,now calling himself Golden Arrow, was able to save Mia, but not before the young woman had to take the life of a man who had once kept her as his slave. The man behind the tragedy is the powerful Secretary of DefenseDonaldson, who was able to slip out of any wrong doing. Recovering from several major injuries in the sickbay of the Outsiders' new headquarters, Ollie has made a life changing decision to not return to Star City, but to travel across country, his destination being Washington D.C. He has asked Connor to take care of his business, Mia, and the city until he returns. But there is still one loose end that he needs to tie up – Black Canary...



“This place is amazing,” Ollie said in awe as Dinah continued their tour of the new headquarters. “I can’t believe Babs and Zee were able to pull this off.”

“When those two get together, anything’s possible. The second floor here is all living quarters for each one of us. They even made sure you’ve got one as well, for when you come back.”

“My own room? I just figured we’d be shacking up together, as usual.” He flashed her that mischievous grin that she was never able to resist.

It did not go unnoticed by him, however, when she turned away uncomfortably, quickly changing the subject, instead of the playful slap that he was expecting.

“We’ve also got an Olympic-size pool, work out room, and state of the art movie theater for all our copious down time.”

“Sounds like there’s been a lot of that going on,” Ollie said, dryly. “You guys have come such a long way since I left the team. I’m really proud to have been a part of it. Barbara was the perfect choice to lead you.”

“What do you mean, have been a part of it? You still are, Ollie. Just because you might not make every meeting doesn’t mean you’re not an Outsider. This team happened because of you. Like it or not, you’re still one of us.”

“I guess,” he replied doubtfully. “But this team has come into its own with Batwoman at the helm. With me, well, it just seemed like I was dragging everyone into whatever was ticking me off at the time. Babs leads with her head, that’s better for everyone.”

“That’s not true and you know it.”

Even Ollie’s chuckle seemed cutting. “Really? Dinah, during the invasion of Darksied, when we were all trapped on Apokolips, I abandoned the team to rescue you.” He raised his hand as she opened her mouth to interrupt him. “Think about it. I’m not saying the team should have left you twisting in the wind, but I shouldn’t have been the one to do it – and not alone, that’s for sure. My arrogance could have cost us a lot more than it did.”

“Well, I’m not denying that you’re arrogant,” she replied with her own chuckle, “But you were following your heart, Oliver, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We’ve all done it. We’re human, for Christ’s sake.”

“Exactly, just like I was following my heart when I chose to ignore Adrian’s continuing downward spiral. I couldn’t stand the guy, didn’t even want him on the team. If it hadn’t been for Helena, I would have booted him right after we escaped Roulette. What I should have done was put my personal feelings aside and tried harder to reach out to him.”

Dinah took his hand, squeezing it warmly. “Your heart is what made you keep him in the first place, you big doofus. You cared about Helena’s feelings; you didn’t want to hurt her. Did you ever stop and ask yourself what would have happened if you had thrown him out? Huntress probably would have left too. Adrian’s death may have ended up going down in an entirely different way. He was on a self destructive path; I don’t think anything, or anyone, could have stopped that. But I do believe that Helena’s love for him, and his for her, is what let him leave this world as a hero. You did that.”

“But he did die,” Ollie reminded her. “My track record has sucked for a lot of years. Adrian... Eddie... Roy...”

SLAP!

His head jerked so hard from her open handed slap that his hat flew off his head and his shoulder began to ache. He stared at her, mouth agape. “What the hell did you do that for?”

“Because you piss me off!” she cried out in exasperation. “I’m in the middle of a ‘poor Ollie pity party’, and to be honest with you, I really don’t have the energy for it.”

Oliver Queen’s face grew red at an alarming rate. “Well excuse me for opening up to you, Sunshine. Damn, it’s always a no-win situation with you! I’m either not sharing enough, or when I do, I’m being self-indulgent. Excuse the hell out of me.”

She shook her finger in his face. “Don’t you dare! I don’t mind a little self-indulgence. We all need a little self-indulgence now and then. But you’ve got a pattern, old man. There’s a fine line between self-indulgence and wallowing in pity. And you are so far past that line at the moment that Hawkman could pick it out from orbit.”

Ollie launched himself out of the chair, grabbing his hat that was on the floor, hiding his face as the pain from the leg that had been damaged shot through his body. “Aw, to Hell with this! I don’t need this crap right now.”

As he stormed off, limping out of the room, Dinah screamed after him. “Why not? This is exactly what you live for, isn’t it?”

The metal door of the rec room slammed shut, ringing through the main hall like a death knell. Dinah slumped back into her chair, suddenly exhausted. Why did he always tick her off like that? And more importantly, at this point in her life, with everything that was going on between the Outsiders and her mother, why was she even bothering anymore...



A soft knock on one of the guest room doors brought Mia out of her reverie. She thought it ironic how a quiet request to enter could give her such mixed feelings. Mia desperately wanted to both shout come inand ignore it and be left alone.

There was another knock, a little firmer, this time with Connor’s voice on the other side asking if she was there – if she was all right. As soon as she heard the gentleness and concern in his question, the need to open the door tipped the scales dramatically.

She opened it to find him in costume, his mask pulled down around his neck, a look of worry on his face that made her turn away quickly; a feeling of embarrassment coursing through her for some reason she couldn’t explain.

“Can I come in?” he asked, still standing in the doorway.

Mia rolled her eyes. Sometimes she couldn’t figure out if he was dense or just that naive. “Of course, you can.” The sound of her voice was irritating to her. She knew she was trying to hard to sound normal.

“I’ve been worried about you,” he stated as he stepped into the room. He hesitated, wondering if he should shut the door (which seemed horribly inappropriate) or leave it open (which might keep her from opening up to him if she felt the need to).

“Go ahead and shut the door,” Mia said as if reading his mind. “If there’s anyone in this place that can be trusted with a young woman in a closed room, it’s you.”

He did as she said, closing the door gently. “You missed supper tonight. I thought I might be able to coax you into going with me to get a late night snack.”

“I’m not really hungry.”

He wandered a little farther into the room, shifting his feet uncomfortably, which made Mia grin on the inside, even though she was feeling horrible. Damn him for being so cute and awkward.

“I understand,” he said. “Still, we could go anywhere in the world you wanted. Perhaps an early morning bistro in Paris or Venice? Or a midnight breakfast in the Village?”

Silence was the only response. Mia tried to give him an apologetic smile, but it was obvious that she just couldn’t pull it off.

“Okay,” he conceded, choosing to change the subject. “Are you ready to go back home tomorrow?”

Fight the tears, she thought as she heard the word home. She had really only had one for the briefest of times, and with her father now dead, she had a feeling that the concept would be lost to her forever. “Sure.”

Connor Hawke felt something he had never come across before – helplessness. He knew he could sit down and discuss the philosophy of death, or give her the earnest platitudes that might comfort her at that moment, but both of these options felt wrong. Instead, he sat in the chair across from her bed, where she had placed herself, now lying down and staring at the ceiling.

After a time she spoke. “Connor?”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever... killed anyone?”

“No.”

More silence followed. Connor considered going to her, but opted not to. Something told him the time was not right. She needed the space.

“You know,” she began, still staring at the ceiling, “I watched his eyes the entire time. Right before... before it happened, when I saw him pick up the piece of glass; when he raised his arm to plunge it into your neck, all I saw in his eyes was hate. I’d seen it before. But after I... I... you know; I watched it all just disappear. It wasn’t even a slow fade, you know. One minute he’s full of life, anger, rage, and the next second it’s all gone. It was as simple as flipping a light switch. He just... just turned off.”

Her voice was low as she spoke, causing Connor to lean forward. He wanted to be there for her. He wanted to make sure he heard every word that she said. So he moved closer as she continued to speak her thoughts out loud.

“Those eyes of his were his weakness, you see. When I was his slave, God, I hate using that word, but it’s what I was... his slave. Anyway, when I was his slave, I realized very early on that every mood he was in was conveyed to me through those eyes of his. No matter how much of a pokerface he thought he had, his eyes always gave him away. One time, about two months after I had been there, he called me into his private office. I went, carrying a glass of his favorite brandy. When I stepped into the room, I saw a look in his eyes that was new to me. He was obviously furious with someone, or something that had not gone right. I saw that same hate in his eyes, that day, for the first time. Not anger, Connor, but hate. That was... that was the first time he... he took that hate out on me.”

The tears slowly began to form in the corner of her eyes, even though he could tell that she was fighting it tooth and nail.

“It wasn’t the last time, oh no, not all. I became very adept in knowing that look. A couple of times, when he had me on the floor of his office, taking that hate out on me, he would wrap his hands around my neck. At first I was afraid he was going to kill me, but after several months, and several of those instances, I began to pray that he would do it. I so wanted to die. Isn’t that horrible?”

“But you didn’t,” Connor replied gently. “You held on. That says a lot about you.”

She brushed the tears from her cheek as she brought herself up into a sitting position, sitting right next to him now. “No, I didn’t. I thought about it, though. Thought about doing it myself. Part of me figured that it would show him. I figured it was just a matter of time before he did it anyway, so why not do it myself. Then at least I would have the last laugh, see. I would have been in control of my final destiny, not that rat bastard. But then I kept thinking about my Mom, and how she didn’t even know where I was anymore..

I had to stay alive, for her. Let her know that I was alright. Then suddenly everyone was there; you, Ollie, my father. My father! I actually believed in miracles at that moment.”

“Miracles do happen,” Connor replied.

Mia shook her head. “No, not really. I think if you’re lucky enough to get one, somewhere down the road, you’re going to pay for it. Call it God, or karma, or whatever you want to, but miracles aren’t gifts. They’re just a bargaining tool that comes back to bite you on the butt in the end.”

It hurt him to hear her say that, but as much as he disagreed with that philosophy, he wasn’t about to refute it; it wasn’t the time, nor the place. Instead, he attempted a sad smile, nodding his head in her understanding of how she felt at that moment.

She returned that smile with one that was even sadder. “When I saw that look in Asad’s eyes, holding that jagged piece of glass, I knew I there was no going back; not for him... or for me.” Mia was nodding to herself as she stated it. “Yeah, there was nothing I could do. I wouldn’t let you die. I couldn’t.” The tears were falling again, heavier this time as she looked up at him. There was something more than just pain and grief in her face; there was anguish. “Eddie would have understood that... right?”

Connor nodded. “Yes, Mia. He would have understood.”

They sat there for a moment when she burst out sobbing. “I miss him. I can’t believe he’s gone. I was just getting to know him.”

This time Connor did not hold back, but reached out with his arms and enveloped her into an embrace; allowing her to finally break down, her body shaking as she sobbed into his shoulder. “This isn’t fair.”

“No, it isn’t,” was all he could say as he held her tightly.



Both Dinah and Ollie were waiting for the two young people the next morning. They barely had said anything to each other; had not spoken at all the day before, after their big blow up. The footsteps from the second floor caused them to look up. Both Mia and Connor were coming down the steps.

Dinah embraced Mia, giving her a comforting squeeze. “If you ever need me, please call. You have my private number now, so I promised you that I will drop everything to be there for you.”

Mia smiled. “That’s very kind of you, thanks.”

“Did you get a hold of your mother?” Ollie asked.

She nodded. “She wants me to come home, but I told her I’m not ready yet. I promised her I’d keep in touch, but I’m going to stay in Star City with Connor for a while. That’s where I got to finally know Dad, and I just need some time there.”

Ollie looked at his son. “I guess I don’t have to tell you...?”

Connor smiled, knowingly. “To watch over her? No you don’t, and I will, of course. I will also do my best to watch over the company, but I am nervous about that. I was raised in a monastery; they really didn’t teach me a lot about high finance.”

“You get a hold of William Smith. He’s the guy that’ll take care of the day-to-day business. He’s the most loyal, trustworthy person I’ve got on the payroll. He’ll always have your back.”

“I’ll keep the city clean for you,” Connor said, adding, “until you return.”

“I know you will,” Ollie replied. “I’ll do my best not to be gone too long. Be careful... son.”

“You too, Dad.” They hugged for a second, causing Ollie to wince quietly as his arm still throbbed something fierce. “I’m a... well... proud of you... and all that.”

On the inside, Connor couldn’t help but smile to himself. That had to have been the most awkward, yet most fulfilling compliment he had ever received. He was also wise enough know how to respond. “Remember that statement if you come back to find your business gone and the city in shambles.”

Ollie shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” He turned to Mia who had been wiping tears from her eyes. “And you, you keep him in line. He may be this great martial artist and the world's second greatest archer, but when it comes to street smarts, the kid is as naïve as Mickey Mouse wandering through Harlem.”

A genuine chuckle came from Mia. “I’ll do that,” She promised as she also hugged him. “Ollie, I want you to know that Eddie was lucky to have had you as his best friend. I know he wasn’t the easiest guy to get a long with...”

Dinah let out a low scoff, “And Ollie is?” She raised her hands as an apology when Oliver gave her a rather withering look.

Mia couldn’t help but grin at the comment. “Still,” she continued. “You were there for him right to the very end. I know he appreciated it. He loved you for it, like you were his own brother.” She choked back a sob and kissed him on the cheek.

Ollie’s lower lip quivered, but he remained stalwart. “He was a brother,” he told her. “And I’d bet if we could ask him what he was the most proud of in his life, you’d be at the top of that list.”

The young girl nodded, turning away quickly and walking towards the transporter. “Let’s go,” she said to Connor, her voice a husky.

Putting his arm around her, they waited until Dinah had set the coordinates for Star City, then with a quick wave, they stepped into the door frame, shimmered, and disappeared.

Ollie turned to look at the beautiful blond woman that he was undoubtedly and passionately in love with. “Well, that just leaves us.”

Dinah gave him a pained expression. “Ollie, about that...”



Three hours had gone by since the younger couple had left. Dinah lay naked underneath her sheets, her body turned towards the wall as her own tears fell onto her pillow. She felt the bed move as Oliver rose from his side of the bed. She didn’t have to turn around to know that he was slipping on his costume.

“You are going to say goodbye, right?” she asked, still facing the wall.

“I thought that’s what we just got done doing?” he quipped.

Dinah sighed. “Break up sex is always bitter-sweet.” She rolled over to see him picking up the domino mask from the nightstand. “You know what I was just thinking about?

“That moment in L’Inferno when you came up to me with my Scotch and soda; you in that silly outfit with the tail, me in the tux.” It was a statement, not a question. *

*New Outsiders #0

Dinah was genuinely taken aback by the answer. “Yeah, how did you know that?”

“Because it was exactly what I was thinking about. Actually, there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I haven’t thought about that day. The moment I touched your thigh, before you so promptly pushed it away, I felt electricity between us. That hasn’t gone away.”

“I know. But we’ve been through this already, Oliver. We can’t survive on sexual chemistry alone. After everything that happened to us with the Deck, the things that we said to each other...” She raised her hand to stop the protest that was forming on his lips. “I know, Ollie. What we said was because of the Queen of Diamonds, but we both agree that she didn’t force the words, or the thoughts, she just opened the door so that we could say them out loud.”*

*New Outsiders #31 & #32

“Yeah, well, water under the bridge, I suppose,” Ollie said as he placed the mask on his face, then picked up his hat and placed it on his head. “But don’t think for one moment that I’m giving up on us, 'cause I ain’t.”

“I wish you would, Oliver, because it’s time for us to move on. I do love you, in so many ways, but that bridge you just mentioned? We both burned that down a while ago. You take care of yourself, old man, and if you ever need us, you know that the Outsiders are always here for you. All you’ve got to do is call.”

“Well, I’m starting to think that I really won’t be needing the Outsiders' help anytime soon. And I definitely won’t be needing your help, either. Take care of yourself, Pretty Bird. Hope life doesn’t kick you in the ass too many times.”

He walked out the door, slamming it harder than he had planned on. His hands were trembling, his leg was still a bit weak from his injuries, but his sudden feelings of both anger and betrayal was enough to sustain him as he headed for the exit.

“Ollie, you okay?” Barbara Gordon asked as she approached him.

“I’m just terrific. I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got a life to live, and a country full of fat cats to clean up. Take care of yourself, and the team. Oh, and here, I won’t need this at all.” He tossed the new signaling device that he had just been given the day before, back to her. She caught it with one hand, looking at it as if it were some piece of alien technology.

“I don’t understand?”

“It’s simple: There’s enough Outsiders around that you really don’t need me anymore, and to be honest with ya, I’m a little too busy for all the personal drama that comes with this little group. I think I’ll stick to the Justice League. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

He saw that Barbara was about to reply, but turned quickly, adjusting the coordinates before stepping through the arch and out of site, leaving a stunned Barbara Gordon by herself.

Oliver Queen, now dressed in the familiar garb of Green Arrow, appeared in the parking garage of the penthouse that he owned right down in the famous Las Vegas strip. He found his motorcycle parked exactly where had last put it. He limped over, got on, started it up, and drove onto the streets.

The bike headed east, and when he had passed the city limits, he glanced into the side mirror to watch the buildings and bright neon signs slowly disappear in the background.

“Who said leaving Las Vegas was hard?” he asked himself as he switched on the radio to find Bob Seger’s Traveling Man[/] playing on the radio. He began to sing along with the song, his hands tapping on the handle bar as he kept time with the beat.

He refused to look in his mirror again. He ignored the physical pain that he was feeling; ignored the emotional pain that was threatening to envelop him. Instead, he stared straight ahead and looked towards the future.

The End


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