A dream of yesterday...

This is a dream of a golden age... a time of innocence and wonder.

Sometime today...

The room is dark and full of smoke and incense. Soft rays of light fall from the skylight overhead. Light that highlights the legs of a prone figure lying on a grey stone slab in the middle of the room. The rest of the figure is obscured by the incense and smoke. Etched into the sides of the stone slab are hieroglyphs of an ancient culture. Next to the prostrate figure stands a man dressed in elaborate Aztec garb. Chaotic geometric patterns and fantastic creatures decorate his whole outfit from headdress down. As ornate as his clothing is, it is as grey as the man wearing it. This Grey Man as it where, stands with his hands touching the body of the unconscious man.

"Most amusing," says the Grey Man. "A trivial fantasy at best or does it hold a clue to the secret that I seek. I know that it is somewhere in you. There is no mistake about it. I shall find it and when I do... it will release me from my servitude."

While the Grey Man studies his subject another man enters the chamber. This man is dressed in an old fashion suit complete with tails and a top hat. He walks with the aid of an ornate cane. He stops at the altar and bows towards the Grey Man.

"My lord, Teoyaomqui," greets the Academic. "Why does this one man interest you so much?"

"Am I not the god of dead warriors!" booms the Grey Man. His form bathing in an unholy grey halo. "This man was once one of the finest warriors that lived and he gave his life so that others may live. It is only fitting that I would desire such a warrior for my collection."

"As is your will, my lord." The Academic bows to his god's wisdom. "The messages that you have commanded have been sent. Our warriors prepare for battle."

"Good." The Grey Man turns and looks at the stone carvings of the moon that adorn the far wall. The carvings represent each of the phases of the moon. Next to the carvings are representations of twelve small pyramids. "I need the others if my plans are to succeed. My avatars shall lead the leopard warriors. Soon I shall have more for my collection."

"And then, you shall give me the power that you've promised?" asks the Academic.

"Serve me well and I will give you the world." responds the Grey Man.

The Academic bows and leaves. Before he exits the temple, he takes another look at the comatose man on the stone slab. He feels that he should know this man but for some reason he doesn't recognize him. This sense of familiarity bothers the Academic. He does not like to leave any of his plans open to a potential random factor.

'What a fool,' thinks the Grey Man as he watches the Academic leave. 'His arrogance doesn't let him see when he is being used. Once I find what I need, then I shall end this masquerade. Then I shall give this academic the gift he truly deserves.'

Several days later in Metropolis, otherwise known as the 'Big Apricot'.

Metropolis is a gleaming city of high-rises and buildings of steel and glass. It is also world famous as the home of Superman. It is not Superman that brings this young lad to Metropolis on this day. It is a much more solemn ceremony that brings Connor Hawke, a.k.a. the Green Arrow, to the big city. He has returned to pay his respects to his dad's memory. The young blond hair gentleman stands alone in Queensland Park. He stands at the foot of a stone statue of the first Green Arrow... a statue of his father... a statue of Oliver Queen.

"Glad to see that Metropolis has honoured your sacrifice," mutters Connor to himself as he looks up at the sculpted face of Ollie Queen. "It's a good likeness, dad. I think you would have liked it." Connor pauses for a moment. "The reporter Clark Kent petitioned the city for this statue. Guess he or his readers will never know the real truth of what happened on that fateful day*."

[*   The death of Oliver Queen as he saved Metropolis from eco-terrorists! As it happened in Green Arrow #100]

"Can't believe its been over just a year now," whispers Green Arrow as he sighs. In his hand is a crumpled piece of paper. He holds it up and looks at it again. "Then I get this. A letter addressed to me and signed by you. A letter dated on my birthday... dated this year. How is this possible? How?" Connor Hawke screams the last word as it echoes throughout the park. Birds take flight from their hunt for bread crumbs.

"Are you still alive out there somewhere?" Connor shakes his head and laughs. "Or is this some kind of sick joke?" He stops and looks around him. Connor swears he heard something moving in the bushes. He has a bad feeling about this. Connor drops his overcoat revealing the costume of the Green Arrow. The park seems to become quiet and almost lifeless. The sounds of the birds and squirrels have been replaced with an unnatural silence. It is like everything has become still and drab. Connor Hawke reaches for his bow and...

Suddenly a small group of men wearing leopard skin armour and armed with Aztec weaponry jump from the shadows of the bushes. They scream and rush at Connor. Connor is able to get one arrow off as it hits a rushing warrior's left arm and pins him to a tree. The rest of the leopard warriors get too close to Connor to use his bow effectively. This is a mistake on the part of the leopard warriors.

They swing their stone clubs and axes but they are unable to hit the nimble and agile Connor Hawke. Connor Hawke is not only a master of the bow, but he is a master of martial arts also. With several kicks and some well placed punches, the leopard warriors draw back to recoup and rethink their strategy.

"Who are you?" asks the Green Arrow. "What do you want?"

"We want you, Connor Hawke." commands a grey man dressed like an Aztec god. "I am the avatar of Teoyaomqui. I have come for you, Green Arrow."

Green Arrow is startled by the sudden appearance of this grey man out of nowhere. The leopard men part their ranks to allow the Grey Man walk towards Connor. Connor reacts with a roundhouse kick as he swivels his body to launch his kick high into the air. The Grey Man reaches up and catches Connor's kick. Connor feels his leg become cold and numb. He then feels the world spin and everything go black. The Grey Man lets go of Connor Hawke. Connor stumbles back but falls unconscious to the ground. Just before Connor Hawke passes out, he hears the Grey Man speak...

"The collection must be secured. Prepare him to be transported to the Temple of the Moon. I return to our lord, Teoyaomqui. He has commanded that you prepare the ambush for the woman." The avatar finishes speaking and as quickly as he appeared, he fades into the surrounding grey shadows and disappears.

"You heard the boss," snaps one of the leopard men, "lets get this kid to the jet before he wakes up. And then we have another party to attend to."

[*   It happen in 'The Killing Joke']

She is used to searching through other people's databases for information. As such, when she received a mysterious e-mail on her system it came as a complete surprise. Her location, in the physical world and on the net, are a closely guarded secret known only to one man. That man being the Batman. So imagine her surprise when she looked up from her coffee to see a strange anonymous message staring back at her!

"What the!?!" comments a surprise Barbara. She tries to run a search on the source of the message but to no avail. The message has been masterfully encoded and any attempt at a search leads her back to her own equipment! "My my," she adds, "anyone who can do something like this is good. Really good."

Barbara Gordon is surprised for a second time when she actually goes to read the message. "This message can't be right. It has to be a trap of some kind."

The message on her computer screen reads:

Oracle
Escaped to Metropolis. Please help. Mictlan are after me.
Time is running out. Unarmed and hurt. Please help...
Queensland Park.
- Ollie Q.

"Trap or no trap... I know someone who will want to hear about this." Barbara places a special call on a secure line to just one person. That person being the Black Canary.

The street thug rushes at her for a second time. With a quick karate kick, she connects with the thug's head and he falls on the already unconscious bodies of the rest of his gang. She dusts herself off and feels much better after her workout. She was dressed in her protective costume of blue-grey and yellow. Her high leather boots protect her legs and feet. It is a change from the old costume of fishnets and high heels. A change for the better Dinah Lance thought. Even in this costume, the world would recognize the Black Canary!

Black Canary looked at the unconscious gang that laid at her feet. "I told them not to sell that stuff in my neighbourhood," thought Dinah. "I think I persuaded them not to make the same mistake twice."

Just at that moment, her earring comlink buzzes with Oracle's voice, "Canary. I have something I think you might want to know."

"What is it Oracle?" the Black Canary asks. "You sound funny. Is everything all right?"

"I don't know. I really don't know." Oracle reads the mysterious message to the Black Canary.

"What! It has to be a fake. Ollie is dead. He was blown up over Metropolis! There is no way he could have survived."

"I know that Canary and I also know that someone was able to send this message to me... which means that they knew how to contact me and they knew I was in contact with you. I think that this message was actually intended for you."

"Damn! This can't be happening. Ollie is dead. I've finally put him behind me for this to happen."

"Does that mean you're going to ignore the message?"

The Black Canary let out a loud sigh. "No. I can't. Even though this is probably some trap of some kind, I can't run the risk that somehow... however the slimmest chance... that Ollie may be alive and in need of my help. Besides," adds the Black Canary, "if Ollie is alive, I want to kick his but for almost getting himself killed in the first place." The Black Canary doesn't laugh at her own joke. Her mind is on the message. "What do you have on this 'Mictlan' thing? Who or what are they?"

"From what I could dig up... it is from Aztec mythology. It is the name for their Underworld. It is suppose to be home for the dead, except for warriors and women who died in labour."

"Some distinction. Great. Sounds like a bunch of nuts to me. Might as well book me the next flight to Metropolis. I better check this out."

"Already done. Be careful Canary. I don't like this one bit. Who ever sent me this message knew how to crack my security codes so that means they're dangerous. Take care of yourself and I'll be in touch."

The Black Canary stepped over the unconscious bodies of the thugs. She walks down the street lost in her thoughts. She wonders if Ollie is alive and if he is, who would be after him? 'I don't like this. Not one bit. I finally get settled in Gotham, only to have to take a trip to Metropolis.' She wonders outloud, "O.K. Metropolis, here I come."

The halls of Metropolis General Hospital are busy with doctors and nurses going about their usual rounds. The hospital staff are oblivious to the three men that stand just outside a closed door to a private room. They are Kenn Kawa, computer game designer; Clay Brody, race car driver; and Marlon Corbet, commercial pilot; and together with Brenda Ruskin (currently absent), physicist; they are known as the Challengers of the Unknown!

Clay shifts from one foot to another while Kenn plays a gameboy. Marlon Corbet just stands there patiently. It is Clay Brody who speaks first. "What's taking Brenda so long?"

"It is her niece in there, Brody. Have some shred of decency will you." responds Kenn Kawa as his gameboy makes some more obnoxious beeps and blips.

Before Brody has a chance to respond, the door opens and Brenda Ruskin walks out. Her face is sad and her eyes downcast. She walks to the rest of the Challengers. Kenn quickly turns off his gameboy and puts it away.

"Any luck, Brenda?" asks Marlon Corbet as he cleans his glasses.

"Nope. Her condition hasn't changed. Mia is still in a coma. Has been for just over a year now." says Brenda. Her eyes are heavy with worry. "This has been hard for Laura."

"What's the cause?" asks Kenn.

"Don't really know. She just collapsed while playing in the park one day. Her mother has been in a right state of panic ever since. That's why I came by to visit. To see how Mia is doing and to see how Laura is holding up. We go way back and I had to see if I could help. You know you guys didn't need to come all this way to Metropolis with me."

"Don't be silly Brenda. We're the Challengers and we stick together. No matter what." adds Marlon Corbet as he attempts to comfort Brenda.

"Besides," interjects Kenn, "what are friends for."

As the Challengers comfort Brenda, a doctor walks up to them. He is a tall black man who introduces himself as Doctor Gregory Adams. He informs Brenda that he is Mia McCaul's doctor.

"Don't you call yourselves the Challengers of the Unknown?" asks Doctor Adams.

"We are the Challengers!" snaps Clay Brody. He is a bit touchy on the subject. He doesn't like people to think they are mere copies or something. They have earned the name in their own perilous way.

"Umm... sorry about that. Didn't mean it like that." Doctor Adams apologizes. "What I was wondering is... could you help me with something?"

"What seems to be the problem?" asks Kenn Kawa. He has put his gameboy away with the hope that this will need his unique problem solving methods.

"Well... Miss McCaul isn't the only one suffering from a strange coma." comments the doctor. "We have ten more patients here that are all suffering from the same symptoms. To add to that all of these victims were admitted to the hospital at the same time."

"When?" asks the Challengers in almost perfect unison.

"Just over a year ago." comments the doctor as he checks his charts. "About the time that helicopter exploded over the city. I've been wondering if there might be some connection and well... you seem the right people to check it out."

"Why us, Doctor Adams?" asks Marlon Corbet. "Why now?"

"Why? Well... its because we're stumped here at Metropolis General. We can't seem to find anything physically wrong with these patients and yet they are in comas. So I figured that maybe, just maybe, you may be able to succeed where we've failed. Right now... I'm willing to try anything."

Brenda Ruskin turns to her fellow Challengers. "What do you think?"

Each Challenger doesn't have to say a word. They just nod their heads and watch the smile on Brenda's face grow. She turns to the doctor, "We'll do it. So where do we start?"

The next day in Queensland Park. Dinah Lance, a.k.a. the Black Canary, is walking through the park. She is dressed in civilian clothing while she walks down the path. 'It's a nice park,' she thinks. Reminds her of the one that her and Ollie used to go to all the time in Seattle. A few discreet inquiries after she got off the plane, has led her to here, to the Green Arrow memorial. She stops at the statue.

It is a statue of Olliver Queen with his bow aimed towards the heavens. He is in his classic green costume. He sports a cocky grin as he is forever frozen in the stance of pulling back an arrow on his longbow. "Ha! You would've hated this statue Ollie. Too retro for your tastes. But all in all... it is a good likeness." She stops talking. After a moment of silence she wonders out loud, "Why am I here? This is silly. Ollie is dead. If he was alive I think he would have contacted me a long time ago." Black Canary shakes her head. She hears people walking down the path towards her.

"From my search of the hospital records... all of the victims were at this park on that fateful day." states a female voice coming up from the path.

"You mean to say that on the day that that helicopter exploded... eleven people dropped into a coma!" came another voice. This voice belong to a man.

"That's the facts. How we interpret them is up to us." adds another man's voice.

Dinah Lance could now see four figures walking down the path. The first is of a young woman with glasses and long, healthy red hair. She wears a polka dot scarf around her neck. Next to her is a spectacled black man dressed in a suit and tie. Following behind them, are two more men. One is a man with oriental features and long black hair. He is dressed in a long coat and sports a medallion with a hourglass motif. The other man is a burly man wearing a leather jacket and racing gloves.

"What are we looking for?" asks Brody as he fiddles with his racing gloves.

"Anything that might give us a clue what happen to these eleven people." adds Brenda as she brushes her hair from her eyes. "Any ideas Kenn? You're usually good for this type of thing."

Kenn looks around the park and then lays down on the grass. He stares up at the sky and tries to see what he can from his new point of view. His eyes keep drifting towards the statue of Green Arrow and the young lady in front of it. She returns his stare and Kenn actually blushes.

"What are you doing, Kenn?" asks Marlon Corbet.

"Keeping my eyes open in case I see Superman." jokes Kenn Kawa. "This is Metropolis after all. You never know when he will fly by. But seriously... I'm trusting serendipity. When the analytical mind can learn no more then we have to trust our inner selves to show us the truth."

Who are these weirdoes wonders Dinah to herself. The one on the grass keeps looking at her and she doesn't like it. Do these people have anything to do with 'Mictlan' she wonders. She watches as the others just walk through the park looking at everything... the grass, the trees, the benches... everything.

"This is ridiculous!" comments Brody. "What do you expect to find? There is nothing here."

"I wouldn't say that." comes a voice from the bushes. A small group of leopard warriors rush out of the bushes and advance on the Challengers and Dinah Lance.

"What's going on?" asks one of the leopard warriors. "There is suppose to be only the woman, not five people."

"How shocking!" comments Kenn rather sarcastically. "Imagine meeting more than one person in a park."

"Doesn't matter." orders the lead leopard warrior. "Take them all! We'll sort it out afterwards."

The leopard warriors attack the Challengers first since they were closer. Dinah Lance jumps into the fray by quickly dispatching several of the attackers. Clay Brody holds his own as he fights against several club wielding warriors. The rest on the other hand, do their best to keep from getting hurt.

Dinah Lance kicks a leopard warrior unconscious as he attempts to attack her from behind. The warriors have no chance to even get close to her. Her skill in martial arts is equal to but a few. And they are not here. With kick after kick and punch after punch, she teaches these warriors about the art of combat. The leopard warriors try to over come her with sheer numbers but they cannot.

The Challengers of the Unknown are not having as easy a time. Brenda Ruskin and Kenn Kawa find themselves back to back as they attempt to defend themselves against the leopard warriors. They are not so successful. A warrior swings his club and it connects against Kenn's skull. With a groan, Kenn falls to the ground. Before Brenda can call out Kenn's name, several warriors overcome her and silence her call for help. They sneak her away in the confusion of the melee.

As quickly as the ambush started, it ends. The leopard warriors retreat, leaving the Challengers and Dinah Lance standing in the park. They are sweaty and tired from the combat as they feel the adrenaline flush from their systems. In between their grasps for breath, a moan rings out. "Ohh... my aching head." murmurs Kenn as he lifts himself off the grass. "What was that all about?"

"I think they were after me." informs Dinah Lance as she checks the park for any stragglers. "Wonder why they took off so sudden?"

"Where's Brenda?" asks a worried Marlon Corbet. He looks around the battle scarred park and sees no sign of her. "Why would they take her? Why?"

"I'm sorry but, I think they mistook your friend for me." adds Dinah Lance. "I was asked to come here... supposedly by an old friend. I expected a trap and you just kind of stumbled into the middle of it."

"Stumbled in the middle of it!" shouts Clay Brody. "That's saying half of it. It looked like we stumbled into some bad Tarzan movie and one of our friends get kidnapped and you say 'sorry'!"

"Look. I am sorry and I would like to help. Maybe my assistance can help find your friend."

Dinah Lance and the remaining Challengers of the Unknown make their brief acquaintances and they agree to aid each other in solving their mutual mysteries. As they discussed their strategy... they could hear another moan over near the Green Arrow statue. Both Dinah Lance and Clay Brody smile as they spot a leopard warrior who is just waking up from unconsciousness. "Maybe now we'll get some answers," says Dinah Lance (a.k.a. the Black Canary).

Early evening on a private jet flying to Star City.

Connor Hawke wakes from a deep sleep. He is surrounded by pitch blackness and it takes a few minutes for him to remember what happen to him in the park. He has been captured by some strange organization. 'I wonder if these leopard men have anything to do with Tezcatlipoca*?' thinks Connor. 'Could he be out for revenge?' He tries to move but he finds that he is in some sort of box... the dimensions that he can ascertain are very much like those of a coffin. He tries to lift the lid. It is heavy and appears to be made from stone. Connor Hawke realizes that he is trapped in a stone coffin of some kind.

[*   Tezcatlipoca - God of Jaguars. And a Mexican drug lord, Chama Sierra, magically transformed by Neron. It happened in Green Arrow #102 - 103]

He feels a moment of panic set in but he quickly calms himself with the aid of a few meditation techniques. 'Besides,' Connor thinks, 'I still can breathe and that means who ever put me in here wants me alive. For now.' Connor pushes that thought from his mind. Instead he concentrates on the matter at hand. He pushes on the lid once more. He struggles until it feels like his arms are about to fall off. This time his persistence succeeds. Connor shifts the lid of the stone coffin. He squints his eyes from the sudden light from above.

Connor Hawke slips out of his coffin and takes a look around the room. To his surprise, the room turns out to be the interior of a jet. He doesn't know who owns the jet but the setting sun in the east tells him that the jet is heading west. He sees a door on either end of the chamber and another stone coffin, much like his own, lies next to his empty one. This section of the jet has been converted into a cargo hold. The stone coffins are secured with straps so they don't shift during the flight.

The stone coffins are covered with strange hieroglyphs of what appears to be the moon, warriors, and winged serpents. Many of the hieroglyphs are a mystery to Connor. He draws his attention away from the hieroglyphs once he realizes that someone may be trapped in the twin coffin like he was. He struggles and shifts the lid. Inside is a sleeping redhead woman with glasses and a polka dot scarf. Unknown to Connor Hawke, she is Brenda Ruskin of the Challengers of the Unknown. She is in a deep sleep and doesn't stir when Connor tries to wake her up.

"She will not awaken, Connor Hawke," comes a mechanical voice from behind Green Arrow. "She has been administered with artificially induced narcolepsy. How you were able to negate your own conditioning is unknown."

Green Arrow turns around to see a sleek, golden humanoid automaton directly in front of him. Its face is featureless except for two circular silver eyes. Its chest has a circular series of lights that flash in sequence around and around. "What are you?" asks a bewildered Green Arrow.

"I am my master's Abacus," responds the mechanical voice of Abacus. Even with the mechanical nature of its voice... something suggests that Abacus is much more than a mere robot. "I have been charged with the preservation of the collection. You will return to your sarcophagus. Or I will be forced to temporary deactivate you."

"I don't think it's going to be that easy, tin man." challenges Green Arrow as he prepares to strike at Abacus. He shifts his weight and prepares to kick... Abacus' swirling chest lights begin to blink in alternating colours and with varied speeds. Before Green Arrow can finish his kick, he feels the room spin and his vision begins to blur. Abacus stands motionless as Connor Hawke falls unconscious at its feet.

Abacus picks up Connor Hawke and carries him to the stone sarcophagus and lays him inside. Once the lid is sealed, Abacus returns to his post. He stands back into the shadows of the cargo hold. Its mind at peace with the knowledge that it has succeed in its appointed task - preservation of the collection. Abacus' silver eyes grow dim as he stands in silence. It knows that soon the jet will land at O'Grady International Airport in Star City.

BULL'S-EYE

Welcome to BULL'S-EYE. First things first. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Scott McCullar for his wonderful 'Unofficial Green Arrow Compendium'. This site has loads and loads of information on our favourite emerald archers. I don't think I could have wrote this fanfic without the aid of this site. It is worth checking out!

I hope everyone enjoys Green Arrow #1 and there's more to come. Here's a few appearances you can expect to see (in no particular order) in future fauxDC Green Arrow issues: Shado, Eddie Fyers, Hawkman, Hal Jordan, and a very special return of a very special character! I'm not saying who but I think you can figure it out.

That's enough for now... so in closing, feel free to write to me at hartin@sprint.ca and let me know what you thought of Green Arrow #1. BULL'S-EYE will be a combination of a letters page and author's notes. So if you want to see less of my rambling, then send those letters!

Abacus and the Academic (Golden Age versions and Modern Age versions) created by Tim Hartin