PREVIOUSLY: While Connor Hawke was visiting the memorial dedicated to his father in Metropolis, he was ambushed by a cult of Aztec leopard warriors. He fought bravely but was eventually captured. Connor Hawke was just one "piece" of a collection that these warriors were sent to retrieve on the orders of the Academic and of the Grey Man (who is masquerading as the Aztec god, Teoyaomqui).

Also in Metropolis, The Challengers of the Unknown (Clay Brody, Kenn Kawa, Marlon Corbet, & Brenda Ruskin) were visiting Brenda's niece (the daughter of an old friend) who is in a strange coma. They agreed to help the hospital to investigate these strange comas. This led them to the same park were Connor was ambushed earlier. While there, they met Dinah Lance (a.k.a. Black Canary). They too were set upon by the same leopard warriors. They managed to defeat their attackers, but in the confusion Brenda Ruskin was taken captive. But Black Canary and the rest of the Challengers were able to capture a prisoner for themselves…

A dream of yesterday...

A full moon shines brightly in the clear night sky overhead. The moonlight bathes and caresses an elegant stone castle that lies just on the outskirts of Star City. The history of this castle is as interesting as the history of Star City itself. It was transported brick by brick, from its native home of England, to the United States by the eccentric billionaire, Samuel Fuller. As with any good castle, Fuller Castle has its own mysterious background. It is rumoured that the castle is haunted by ancient spirits. Spirits displaced from their original haunting grounds in England.

On a night like this, Ollie Queen (known to the world as the Green Arrow) would believe these rumours. Just for a second, Green Arrow could swear he thought he saw a small green man with leaves for hair standing in the shadows of the tower. 'Sheesh, if I hang out here any longer I'll start believing in ghosts myself,' thinks Green Arrow to himself. His mind drifts back to why he is here… The Academic had just broken out of the Elgin Home for the Criminally Insane and had gone on a small crime spree. He stole several ancient priceless manuscripts from the Eastern Institute and when Black Canary tried to stop him, the Academic got the best of her. Green Arrow was able to trace the Academic to Fuller Castle and he only hoped that he can save Dinah in time.

Green Arrow slips silently along the castle's parapet. He holds his bow in front of him at waist level. Green Arrow readies a trick arrow as he approaches the looming tower. He can hear chanting echoing through the night air. 'Okay you better be ready for this,' Ollie thinks to himself. 'Dinah is counting on you.'

Inside the tower, a man dressed in silver and gold trim robes stands in front of an altar decorated with many candles. In a pentacle on the floor, lies the prostrate figure of Black Canary. Her hands and feet are bound with leather and her mouth is gagged. The Academic raises his hands into the air and continues to read the incantation from the ancient book in front of him. "They lie not in the places that we know but between them. Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and protector of the gate. Past, present, future are all one to Yog-Sothoth. I call the words of Khadulu Izzu Tahuti Niyharlat Hotep! Accept my sacrifice!"

The tower feels like it is beginning to shake and thick black smoke rises from the pentacle. A high piercing sound echoes throughout the tower. It sounds like a scream that escaped from the very depths of hell. The black smoke snakes its way through the tower like if it were long dark thick tentacles. Black Canary struggles with her bonds as she sees the tentacles of smoke arcing towards her.

The Academic's pale face cries tears of blood as he is overcome with intense rapture. He feels the power surge through him and the ancient mysteries of yesteryear become apparent to him. His already fragile mind begins to crumble under the onslaught of the ancient mysteries. He continues his evil chant… "Khadulu Izzu Tahuti Niyharlat Hotep!"

Green Arrow kicks the wooden door of the castle tower open. To his horror, he sees the Academic chanting fanatically while strange wisps of smoke seem to snake their way around the bound form of Black Canary. Ollie reacts instinctively. He fires his cocked arrow at the Academic and then dives towards Black Canary. The Cryonic Arrow hits its mark and shatters. The Academic's chanting is interrupted as suddenly his lower torso is encased within a block of ice. The Academic tries to concentrate but the intense cold only allows his teeth to chatter instead.

Once the chanting has stopped, the smoke tendrils loose their shape and simply drift away in the night breeze. Green Arrow quickly frees Black Canary from her bonds and helps her to her feet. She is battered but otherwise okay. Green Arrow looks at the shivering Academic and shakes his head, "It was Nostromus* last week and now this. Man, I hate magic."

[*   Justice League of America #182]

Sometime today…

The Temple of the Moon. Star City.

Smoke and incense hangs heavily in the air. The torches on the far walls burn dim and the flames flicker with jagged irregularity. Even the smoke seems to hang still in the air. The only thing moving at any speed assuming normalcy… is a lone Grey Man dressed in decorative Aztec robes of the same grey colour. The Grey Man's arms are outstretched towards the naked comatose man who lies still on a stone altar. The unconscious man's face lies hidden under a golden beard but his nobility is still apparent. The naked man is oblivious to all around him, lost in his dreams.

The Grey Man continues to stare at the unconscious man. To the Grey Man's eyes, it appears that his grey hands have faded into a strange star vortex originating at the man's chest. The Grey Man waves his hands through the mystical vortex and watches them take on sublime dimensions. His hands swim through a star field with small spheres of images floating like planets in a star system. His fingers stretch on for what appears as miles as the Grey Man continues to search the man's dreams. Images of childhood memories thought long gone drifts by his right hand. The Grey Man ignores them. He knows what he seeks is hiding from him in here. "You can't hide from me forever. I shall find you Green Man and when I do… I shall claim your secrets for my own! I almost had you in the last dream, but you manage to escape… you will not be so lucky next time." The Grey Man pulls his hands free from the unconscious man. "Once I complete the Ritual of the Moon, then I shall have your power for my own."

Queensland Park. Metropolis.

Four battle worn individuals stand in front of the Olliver Queen/Green Arrow statue. They have manage to capture a leopard warrior who attempted to ambush them earlier. Unfortunately, one of the Challengers of the Unknown, Brenda Ruskin, was captured by the escaping leopard warriors.* The rest of the Challengers are not to happy about this situation. Neither is Dinah Lance (a.k.a. Black Canary). They all want answers and they want them now.

[*   see Green Arrow #1]

The leopard headdress falls back revealing the bruised face of a young man. His right eye is swollen shut as it has turned many shades of dark purple. The young leopard warrior shakes violently as Clay Brody holds him by his collar. "What did you goons do with Brenda?" he shouts! "If you hurt her… by God… I'll…"

"Your threats do not scare me. I follow the Path of the Warrior. Teoyaomqui* guides my actions. I do what is his biding." says the leopard warrior through clenched teeth. "Do your worse… I am not afraid to die…"

[*   Teoyaomqui is the Aztec god of dead warriors]

Clay Brody holds the leopard warrior up with one hand as he prepares to strike with the other. Kenn Kawa interrupts his fellow Challenger. "Let me try to reason with him, Brody." Kenn turns towards the captive Leopard warrior. "What you fail to understand is that you have taken one of the Challengers of the Unknown. We've experienced situations that your frail mind couldn't hope to comprehend. I think it might be for the best that you tell us what we wish to know before my colleague here gets really angry."

"That's enough." The calm, sober voice of Marlon Corbet attempts to soothe his colleagues. "This isn't getting us anywhere. We need answers, not threats."

"I agree," adds the Black Canary. She stands in her disheveled clothing, still in a mess from their fight with the leopard warriors. "Let me talk to him… I have experience talking to his kind. There is only one thing they understand." In one fluid motion, Black Canary sweeps the leopard warrior out of Clay Brody's hand and throws the young punk against the Green Arrow statue. All the while, Black Canary is shouting questions… "Who are you and what do you want?"

The leopard warrior struggles to get up from his prone position. He reaches at the back of his belt and pulls out a small obsidian knife. "I live for Teoyaomqui and I die for Teoyaomqui!" shouts the leopard warrior as he raises the knife into the air, preparing to plunge it into his heart.

Black Canary reacts instinctively. She opens her mouth and screams. The Challengers of the Unknown all clasp their hands over their ears to protect themselves from Black Canary's Canary's Cry. Her sonic scream shatters the obsidian knife into many tiny pieces. The Leopard warrior screams in pain as he clenches his injured hand. It bleeds from the fragments of obsidian that exploded into his hand when the knife shattered. The Black Canary's voice is a bit rough, "Maybe you didn't hear me earlier… I said I wanted to know who you are and what you want?" Black Canary rubs her throat. Her Canary's Cry had just been restored recently* and her vocal cords weren't up for what she just did. It will take time before Dinah can use her Canary's Cry with any regularity or precision. But it feels good to have it back. Even of it does hurt at the moment.

[*   see Green Arrow #0... COMING SOON! It all ties in with the Hypertime Invasion Mini-Series]

"Cihuacoatl!*" exclaims the injured leopard warrior. "Only a fool goes against the wisdom of the gods." The whole defiant nature of the leopard warrior melts away as he drops to his knees. He holds his head low and stares at the ground. "I ask for Cihuacoatl's forgiveness. I did not know…"

[*   Cihaucoatl is the Aztec Goddess whose roaring signaled war]

"Great. We are dealing with religious fanatics here." interjects Kenn Kawa. "And by the looks of him, the cult probably did its membership drive on the streets. It is how such groups as the Skinheads and the Ragdoll fanatics work. Grab those who have nothing to lose and then turn them into fanatics…"

"Save the sociological lesson for later, Kenn. What I want to know is where did you goons take Brenda?" asks a frustrated Clay Brody. He cracks his knuckles to emphasize his question.

"I will only answer to Cihuacoatl," responds the leopard warrior, "and not to the likes of you."

"Why you little shit…" but before Clay can finish his colourful sentence, Black Canary interrupts him.

"Okay then. Talk to me. Who are you and your fellow mooks and what does this have to do with Ollie?"

"Like my fellow brothers, I was to capture the target at the park and take her back to the Temple of the Moon."

"And where is this temple located?" asks Black Canary. All the time during this interrogation, she has one hand clasped on her earring. An earring that acts as a transmitter for Dinah's colleague, Oracle. Oracle listens closely to the whole conversation.

"The city of the stars," responds the defeated leopard warrior.

"Opal City? asks Kenn.

"No. Star City. I should have known." comments Black Canary. "It all fits with the Green Arrow connection. Someone has a fixation on Ollie's past exploits and they came looking for me. I wonder if anyone else was targeted? I think it is time for a trip to Star City."

"I agree." adds Marlon Corbet. He cleans his glasses and takes a deep breath. "These fanatics have Brenda and the Challengers will do anything to rescue her. But where in Star City? It is a big city after all."

"Don't worry," comments a confident Black Canary as she rubs her bird shape earring. "I have a friend working on that at this moment."

Metropolis General Hospital.

Doctor Gregory Adams makes his rounds as he checks on his patient. He enters the room of the young comatose girl, Mia McCaul (the niece to Brenda Ruskin… a member of the Challengers of the Unknown). He hopes that the Challengers will find a cure for her coma and for the other ten patients in similar unexplained comas. Dr. Adams' mind wrestles with his patient's condition. So much so that he fails to see the strange leopard garments under the white lab coats of two orderlies that stand next to McCaul's bed.

As Dr. Adams prepares to ask the orderlies what they are doing but before he can, a club smashes into the back of his skull, knocking him unconscious. The four leopard warriors work quickly. One leopard warrior lifts the comatose body of the young girl from her bed. "I have the girl," he whispers.

"Good." comes a voice from the shadows. A grey man in Aztec robes smiles. "The other pieces of the collection have also been secured. Our lord, Toeyamqui is most pleased. Our hour shall soon come. Return to the Temple of the Moon." The grey man melts back into the shadows and disappears.

"I hate when he does that." comments a leopard warrior as he watches the grey man disappear. He turns his head towards the unconscious body of the doctor. "What do we do with him?"

"Leave him." orders another leopard warrior. "The girl takes precedent." He looks at the doctor with disdain. "His kind shall soon feel our reckoning. We must leave." The leopard warriors leave as quietly as they enter the hospital. They are content knowing that they have fulfilled their master's wishes.

The next morning…

The Celene Foundation. Oak Forest, Star City.

Two leopard warriors open the back doors to a van. The interior of the van holds two stone sarcaphagi with Aztec hieroglyphs and between then sits a silent golden metallic figure. Light shines from the circular eyes of the golden automaton. Silver eyes that decorate an otherwise featureless face. The Abacus stands and walks out of the van in complete silence. He then turns towards the two leopard warriors. "Proceed with caution. The collection must be secured and catalogued. The remaining collection will arrive soon. All must be ready for the ritual." The Abacus turns and walks down the corridor towards an elevator. With a swish of the elevator doors, the Abacus proceeds to report to his creator, the Academic.

"I hate that robot. It gives me the shivers." comments the young leopard warrior. He scratches his unshaven face. "Especially its voice… so mechanical and yet sometimes it sounds so evil. And those eyes… sometimes it feels like it is staring into my soul."

"Shaddup and keep working." orders an older leopard warrior. "Or have you lost your faith in our cause?"

"There's no need to lecture me, old man." responds an annoyed youthful Leopard warrior as he jumps into the van. "I was nothing before I joined. Just another street kid living in Hell's Acre fighting to survive. I owe everything to Teoyaomqui for raising me from the filth of my previous life and for giving me something to live for. So stop questioning my faith and help me move this coffin." The leopard warrior shifts the heavy sarcophagus towards the van's back doors.

"Careful!" yells the older leopard warrior as the weight of the sarcophagus shifts, and his youthful associate losses his grip. The stone sarcophagus crashes forward as it hits the floor. It takes all the weight of the older leopard warrior to keep it from tumbling over on top of him.

Unknown to anyone else… the occupant of this particular coffin is jolted awake from his induced narcolepsy as the sarcophagus slides abruptly from the van. Connor Hawke's memory is jumbled at first but as his mind clears he remembers the strange golden robot and the swirling lights.* He can hear the muffled sounds of voices coming from outside of his stone prison. Connor battles the mental cobwebs and formulates a quick plan. He notes that it isn't his best idea but at the moment he doesn't have much options. Connor shifts his weight and tries to unbalance the sarcophagus even more. He knows that he has to take advantage of the situation while he can… otherwise he might not get another chance.

[*   It happened last issue -- Green Arrow #1]

"What the!?!" yells the older leopard warrior as he watches the sarcophagus rock and come tumbling towards him. Foolishly he tries to stop it from falling but only proceeds to allow himself to be pinned under it as it comes crashing down on him. He cannot scream as the air is knocked out of his lungs when the sarcophagus hits him.

"Robert!" yells the youthful leopard warrior as he jumps from the back of the van. "Damn! What did I do!" he wonders aloud. He is even more surprised when a voice answers him back. Of course, it isn't the answer he was expecting.

"Thank you. I couldn't have gotten out without your assistance." comments Connor Hawke as he rolls out of the splintered sarcophagus. Connor ends his roll into a crouched stance. "To bad I can't say you've been as much help to your friend." He stretches his stiff limbs as he stands up. Connor dusts off his costume while keeping his eyes on the dumbfounded leopard warrior. "What are you waiting for? A written invitation?" asks Connor Hawke as he readies himself for the leopard warrior's attack. With a shift of a foot and a quick grab, the rushing leopard warrior finds himself missing Connor completely, as his own momentum is added to Connor's throw. It sends him crashing into the back of the stone sarcophagus. He joins his colleague unconscious on the floor.

Connor Hawke quickly surveys the room. It appears to be a parking lot of some kind. A fleet of trucks, all with the black snake biting its tail logo superimposed over a white circle, lined against the far wall. "Time to leave." Connor starts to move towards the exit of the car lot… but he stops after a few quick steps. He remembers the woman he saw in the other coffin while on the plane. He turns towards the van and jumps into the back.

Connor shifts the lid and looks down at the sleeping body of the unconscious Brenda Ruskin. He wonders who she is but that is irrelevant at the moment. What he does know is that he has to get her out of here. Connor reaches down to try to wake her when he hears voices coming from the far corridor. 'Damn.' he thinks. 'There is no way I can get her and myself out of here while she is unconscious.' Connor looks at the peaceful face of Brenda Ruskin and makes a difficult decision. "I'll be back. I promise." he whispers. He turns and disappears into the car parking lot.

From Connor Hawke's hiding position, he can see a group of Leopard warriors advance on the unconscious guards. They don't look to happy about the situation. 'It is time I find out what is going on here.' Connor disappears into the building, searching for answers.

The top three floors of the Celene Foundation… also known as The Temple of the Moon.

The morning light cascades down from the skylight revealing the previous cramp temple to be actually a hidden step pyramid that takes up the top three stories of this skyscraper. At the top of the Aztec step pyramid, is the simple stone altar with its dreaming prisoner. A single man clouded by smoke and incense. The outer walls of the Temple of the Moon are lined with frightening friezes of strange hieroglyphs. Green vines climb their way up the walls, intermingling their way in and out of the stone walls. On each wall are three large predominant stone half columns that meld into the walls themselves. Each wall has these columns, except for the west wall… it has four such columns. Eleven such hieroglyph covered columns surround the Aztec pyramid.

This pyramid and subtropical vegetation are all hidden by the facade a modern skyscraper from the outside. One walking outside would have no idea of what really exists on the top three floors. It is a facade that the owner of the building has maintained for some while now. That owner being one, Professor Julian S. Sivo, otherwise known as The Academic.

His radical theories eventually caused his dismissal from The Eastern Institute and he never forgave them for that. He knows that he will prove them all wrong. And when he does… there shall be retribution for his anguish. The Academic stands at the apex of the pyramid, next to the stone altar. He studies the face of the man on the slab of stone. The Academic knows that he recognizes that face from somewhere before but for some reason he can't seem to remember where.

The Grey Man seems to melt out of the small stone tomb that sits on the top of the pyramid, next to the altar. His grey face is harsh. It shows more life than his otherwise grey visage would show. "Your street riffraff have allowed Green Arrow to escape! Need I remind you of his importance to the ritual." The Grey Man gestures towards the comatose man on the altar. "If you wish the power trapped within him, then I recommend you capture Green Arrow immediately. All must be ready for the ritual tonight."

"There is no need to lecture me about the importance of this ritual. It is I who have spent the last of my funds financing this operation. I have a lot to lose if Green Arrow escapes. He shall be captured." The Academic turns to find his Abacus has already positioned himself behind his master. "Good. You are here, Abacus. Green Arrow is loose within the building… He must be recaptured as soon as possible. You understand?"

"Affirmative Master. I will begin an encephalic scan of the building. Green Arrow shall not remain free for long." Abacus' circular swirling chest lights flash in a violent cacophony of colours and patterns. Abacus stands absolutely still, appearing like a life-size golden idol to some false god. "Designate Green Arrow has been located on the fourteenth floor."

"What!" screams a frantic Academic. "Take a squad of leopard warriors and capture him! He could ruin everything if he is given free reign on that floor!"

"Affirmative Master. I Obey" Abacus turns and walks down the pyramid steps.

"I am too close to have lose everything now." swears the Academic. He turns to face the Grey Man. "Why don't you send one of your selves to apprehend Green Arrow?"

The Grey Man's face remains grey and lifeless. "My energies are currently being used on other planes of realities. If I am to capture the Green Man," the Grey Man points at the comatose body on the stone altar, "that is located within this man's dreams… I need all of my energies to do so. And once I have located and captured him… then I shall drain him of his powers… of his immortality!"

"And it then shall be mine!" exclaims the Academic. "Very well then. Prepare for the ritual while I make sure that the Green Arrow is captured." The Academic turns and walks down the pyramid steps.

The Grey Man watches as the Academic enters the elevator. "You stupid fool. You actually think that once I find and steal the powers of the Green Man that I shall give them to you as I have promised. Hahahahaha! For an academic you are very ignorant. With the Green Man's immortality as my own… I shall be free from this curse that the Lords of Order have placed on me. I will be free from collecting leftover dream essences." The Grey Man turns and rests his hands on the unconscious man. The Grey Man smiles a sinister grin. "Oh yes. I shall be free. And you are my key to freedom, Oliver Queen."

CONTINUED in GREEN ARROW #3!

The Academic and Abacus created by Tim Hartin.