Student Publishing Program ::

Clark Everson

The Death Of Death Arrow

                            Death is a great influence
                            It leads to many things
                            Sorrow, hatred, war, and peace
                            It impacts people known and unknown,
                            Seen and unseen
                            But it also brings something else,
                            Hope

Long ago, in Cross City, at the end of the Age of Heroes, the death of one hero brought about a never-ending war between good and evil. The story of his death keeps heroes fighting for good…

A year had passed since Robert Clive, who was also the hero Death Arrow, had lost his side-kick Jake Tong, who was Red Shot. They were close friends, and he always felt normal around him. Since Jake left workers began feeling uncomfortable around him as he increasingly got stricter and asked for them to work harder all the time.

Jake left because he got bored of being a side-kick and decided to go solo. Since then Jake never called Robert and he had put him out of his mind until he went home after leaving his business, Clive Industries, which was the most powerful in Cross City, and received a phone call from his head of security saying to come and watch tapes of a robbery of his new proto-types that his scientist had just developed.

Clive went back to his business and watched the tapes, when he saw that the robber was Jake he was shocked. Then his cell rang, he picked up and Jake told him to meet him at the docks in 30 minutes or Cross City would be destroyed by the new lasers.

He had always been close with Jake in the past, but this didn’t seem like him. He felt Jake wasn’t who he remembered, or that he was responsible for what Jake had become. He then got ready to leave.

Clive headed for the dock completely confused about what had just happened. He stopped at an abandoned ware-house and changed into Death Arrow, he always wore the suit underneath his clothes, knowing that that was what Jake wanted.

Death Arrow got to the docks and then he noticed a letter attached to the old guard house. He read it and it said to go to the top of the lighthouse, which was attached to the old guard house. Death Arrow drew his cross bow, and strung it carefully. He then entered, and cautiously climbed to the top. When he got to the top he saw Red Shot tied to a chair and the laser ready to be fired.

Death Arrow made quick work of the laser, then untied Red Shot, realizing that Red Shot hadn’t changed at all but had been captured, he wasn’t sure who, but as he untied Red Shot he heard footsteps coming up the lighthouse steps. Turned, bow still loaded, to see his arch nemeses Blue Target and White Fire. Red Shot got himself free, and then Death Arrow realized that Red Shot was defenseless and he could not take both his nemeses at once. He told Red Shot to run and fired the arrow from his bow, and suddenly the arrow opened realizing smoke out of it. Red Shot jumped out of the window first, and Death Arrow made sure he landed on the guard house before he jumped. As he jumped out of the window a shuriken in the shape of a target cut through the smoke, and then it became a net, capturing Death Arrow as he began falling.

Red Shot was already off the guard house when he heard a loud “thump” on the guard hose. He climbed back onto the guard house, but by this time the lighthouse was smoke-free. When he had just gotten on the guard hose he saw White Fire in the window and Death Arrow caught in a net on the guard house, with his bow 10 feet away. Death Arrow was trying to free himself, so Red Shot ran towards Death Arrow, and then from above came a white streak which blinded Red Shot. Red Shot dropped to the ground so he wouldn’t fall off the guard house and just stayed there.

Ten minutes passed before Red Shot regained his vision, but when he got up and looked towards Death Arrow he saw Death Arrow lying motionless inside the net. He ran up to Death Arrow and freed him from the net, and then checked his pulse, but found none. He checked Death Arrow’s body for marks but realized that Death Arrow’s body was burning hot.

He ran over and picked up the bow and went to check the lighthouse, but both villains had left, and had taken the laser with them.

Red Shot brought Death Arrow back to his house and changed himself and Death Arrow back into civilian clothes. Then he called all of Clive’s family, friends and the other heroes he who knew Clive, and told them the news.

Two weeks later Jake held a funeral and everyone he called showed. At the reading of the will Jake found out everything was left to him, and at this moment Jake finally let out all the sorrow that had built up in the two weeks.

Jake himself regretted going solo and felt personally responsible for his mentor’s death. He wanted to take action and had a plan.

After Clive’s friends and family left the heroes, which included such heroes as Darkman, Lightning Rod, Black Knight, and Powerman, had a meeting at Jake’s new house. There they decided to form a legion of heroes known as The Great Arrow’s in honor of Death Arrow.

At the same time the super villains, which included White Fire, and Blue Target, formed a group of their own, which they named White Streak, so they could remember their murder of Death Arrow.

From that point on the two sides have been fighting a war between good and evil, even now, 300 years later, they fight on, but instead of taking place on earth, the war extends to the farthest reaches of the Milky Way.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2009 EDITION]