StarFall Comics
A Division of Pullemouttayerhat Productions
A Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of StarFall Innovations
Proudly Presents:
Silver Arrow
#2: Descent
Cover: A lightning split from top left, an inch below the logo, to bottom right. In the top right half, Jade is standing holding a rifle, looking through the scope. In the bottom left, Silver Arrow is seen as if through a rifle scope. Underneath Jade are the words "One of his friends crosses a line..."; underneath Arrow, are the words, "... as Silver Arrow is now a target."
Los Angeles, while being known for its sun, does occasionally have more varied weather. So it proved on this day: a cloudy, overcast day which threatened to switch to rain at any minute. A lone city police car pulled up in front of the city courthouse. Inside, an older heavyset man sat staring out the car's window nervously, scanning the rooftops. Without saying a word, the officers in the car got out and pulled him from it.
On the rooftop across the street, hidden behind a stone fascade, Jade Wong, a young woman of mixed Asian and European features, studied her target through the scope of a high-powered rifle. As the man's head came into view, Jade took careful aim, as her finger gently squeezed the trigger.
On the street below, the man's head suddenly exploded, with brain and skull fragments splattering the officers and police cruser. The younger of the two officers couldn't help it, and bent over unleashing the remains of his breakfast onto the pavement.
Jade, in the meantime, quickly fled, leaving the rifle behind. With a heave, she made an adrenaline-fueled leap off the rooftop on to a neighboring building and scrambled part way down the fire escape before climbing in an open window. She was out of sight by the time the police swarmed the building she'd left the rifle on.
'I did it,' she thought, as she collapsed on the floor and started shaking. 'I... I killed him. And it was... it was easy. I want to puke, and yet... Sun Li will be proud. Hugh will hate me if I tell him what I had to do.' She stopped shaking and stood up unsteadily.
"He doesn't need to know," she whispered.
"It was a professional hit," Chief Mitchell explained to Silver Arrow several hours later. They were in the Chief's office at the police station, with pictures of the slain man on the Chief's desk. "We found the rifle on the roof of the building across the street. Accuracy International AWM, in .338 Lapua. Whoever it was just left it there after firing only one round."
"No tracks?" Arrow asked, holding one of the photos up under the light of the desk lamp. The man's head and most of the neck had pretty much just disintegrated when hit.
"None," Mitchell replied. "We sent the dogs up, but they tracked the scent as far as the next building before it disappeared. Do you think there was a teleporter involved?"
"I doubt it," Arrow mused. "Sun Li doesn't like supers, and unless absolutely necessary wouldn't hire one, even to get her hitman out of sight. I can put some feelers out, though."
"I appreciate that, Arrow. Oh, Narcotics took a closer look at the drugs we seized. You were right, there were two drugs there. Cocaine, which we expected, and..."
"Sizzle," Arrow finished.
"How do you know this stuff?"
"Educated guess. I heard her tell her lieutenant that the other drugs were going to a drop-off, not the dealers."
"And he's dead, so we can't ask him." Mitchell leaned back in his seat. "And none of the other muscle we arrested are admitting to anything, if they were even told anything about the shipment, which I doubt. Do you think your inside person will know?"
"I'll ask," Arrow admitted. "No guarantees, though. My informant is still fairly new to Sun Li's organization, and may not be privvy to her secrets just yet."
The wide flatscreen television in Sun Li's corporate conference room wasn't used often, but that evening it was on the local network affiliate news program.
"Authorities are still searching for the gunman who killed one of the alleged leaders of the city's organized crime syndicate this morning," the reporter on the screen stated without emotion. "This shooting comes only two days after the deceased - whose name is being withheld for security reasons - was arrested by police and LA's own superhero, Silver Arrow."
The screen flicked off as Sun Li, Jade, and several others in the office turned to each other. Sun Li sat at the head of the long table, with several other older men and women in various places around it. Jade stood behind Sun Li in a respectful pose.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a good day," Sun Li stated. "Our cocaine profits are on the rise, even with this little setback two night ago. A smaller supply does indeed increase demand - in the short term, at least. And the one loose end from the fiasco at the train station has been eliminated." Light applause followed, which she silenced with a raised hand. "As of right now, the vacancy," here she indicated an empty seat to her immediate left, "will be taken by my new lieutenant, Jade Wong. She proved herself especially capable."
Jade bowed slightly, then took the indicated seat.
"Any other new business?" Sun Li asked.
Meanwhile, across town, Silver Arrow had gotten into a skirmish with several members of another gang. At present, he was surrounded by six black and hispanic gang members dressed in black leather, each with the image of a snarling cat head on the back. Arrow had been forced to sling the bow, and was now facing them unarmed; several gang members had knives in their hands.
"El Gato Negro has a price on your head, hero!" one of them taunted. "You're going down, puta!"
"Come and get me, then, Gatos" Arrow replied with a smirk.
One of the Gatos, the largest of the six, came forward throwing a haymaker. Arrow ducked under the clumsy swing, landing an uppercut to the big guy's chin. His opponent staggered back slightly while another came forward to take his place.
This second opponent was quicker, and threw a number of rapid punches, which Arrow blocked with his forearms. He let the ganger beat on his arms for several seconds before snapping his fist into the ganger's chin, dropping him.
The third opponent proved slightly more formidable, leaping at Arrow with a kick. Arrow caught the Gato's foot just inches from his face in both hands, but the Gato followed through almost immediately by spinning, kicking Arrow in the face with the other foot. Arrow released the foot as he fell to the ground, only to kick upwards with his own foot as he did so. He caught the Gato in the groin.
Arrow's fourth opponent charged forward recklessly, brandishing a wicked knife he'd pulled out while awaiting his turn. Arrow, still on the ground, spun on his back, tripping the knife-weilding Gato and sending him into a nearby dumpster.
Arrow stood up and faced the remaining Gato. "Still gonna press your luck?" he asked. Then he quickly looked around. "Wasn't there another of you?"
"¡Sorpresa, héroe!" Without warning, Arrow felt but did not see someone grab him from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. "I got 'im, Big G. Pound 'im."
The Gato called "Big G" shrugged, and started to grow. Whereas before he stood about five and a half feet tall, now he towered over Silver Arrow at an impressive eight feet tall. Arrow, in the meantime, closed his eyes and listened, tilting his head forward slightly. He heard - and felt - his invisible attacker's breath on his neck. Without warning, he slammed his head backwards; there was an audible crunch as his skull impacted with what he thought was his attacker's nose. Arrow felt his invisible attacker let go of him, and immediately slammed his elbow backwards into where he guessed the other man's face was. He felt the blow connect, and the man became visible as he dropped to the ground.
"You must be the new blood I heard was in town," Arrow quipped. "We can do this one of two ways. The first is that we duke it out in classic super-hero/villain style - and we're talking violence, strong language, adult content, and probably lots of property damage. The other is that you power down, and we fight this out like two civilized cave-men; no powers, no weapons, like we have been doing."
Big G paused for a moment, then wound up for a swing. "I'll take the super-powered violence for two hundred, Alex."
Arrow ducked the clumsy haymaker with ease, as Big G slammed his fist into the brick wall behind him. Pieces of brick flew off in all directions from the impact. "And he comes out swinging with a comeback! There's hope for our generation yet!"
And so it went for several minutes, with Silver Arrow trying to put some distance between himself and Big G, and Big G constantly closing and throwing powerful blows, some of which managed to knock several bricks loose from the side of the building. Reaching into his belt pouch, Arrow pulled out a small pellet and slammed it against the wall while diverting his own eyes. The burst of light that flared blinded Big G, causing the large man to stumble around blindly. Arrow then ducked under his opponent's flailing arms and lept onto the larger man's back, getting him in a chokehold.
One thing about folks that are larger than normal with enhanced strength and physical durability: they still need to breathe. And applying slow, steady pressure on someone's windpipe will cut off their air supply to the brain long enough to for them to fall unconscious.
So it proved on this occasion. Big G tried to fling Arrow off him, but Arrow was nimble enough to wrap his legs around Big G's chest for support. And the more he flailed, the slower Big G became, before he finally fell over.
Hugh fell onto the couch at UCLA's student union, setting his bookbag down beside him. Jeff and Jade sat nearby, engrossed in their studies.
"Rough day at work, Hugh?" Jeff asked, looking up from his books.
"Ran into two of your new friends," Hugh commented, pulling an engineering textbook out of the bag. "Big G and someone who could turn invisible."
"Skulker," Jeff stated.
"'Skulker'?" Hugh asked, looking at him oddly. "Sheesh, are we already scraping the bottom of the barrel for stupid villain names? Any other surprises?"
"Not on this end."
"Just this," Jade mentioned, not looking up. "Sun Li has posted a bounty on you."
"As has La Tigra," Jeff remarked. "You're putting quite the dent in their activities."
"So, how much am I worth?" Hugh asked with a grin.
"Hugh..." Jade sighed, setting the book down.
"No, seriously. How much am I worth? That'll probably tell me how often I'll get attacked, and by what quality of crook."
"At present, twenty thousand," Jade replied flatly, picking the book up again. "Now please, I need to concentrate. Mr. Miller's giving a test in Psych in less than an hour."
"Fifteen thousand on the Gatos' end," Jeff said.
"Is that all?" Hugh scoffed. "I'll just have to work harder at getting their attention. Speaking of which... Jade, what have you found out about where they were taking the Sizzle?"
Jade paused slightly before answering. "Li was having it sent to a warehouse. Problem is, she owns about two dozen around town, and hasn't yet told me which one."
"I'll be just a quick search to find which warehouses are owned by Xiang Li Industries," Jeff said, pulling out his iPhone.
"Hugh!" a young brunette about their age called out, running over to where they sat. Jade looked over at the newcomer and scowled, as Hugh turned in his seat towards her.
"Fran?" he asked as she approached. "What's up?" His tone dropped to a near whisper. "Is it your brother?"
"Sorry to show up here like this," Fran stated hurriedly, "but there's trouble at the Griffith Observatory. Super-powered trouble. And no, not Frank; he's still at County State."
"Dammit," Hugh swore. "Jeff, tape Phyics for me? Mr. Costenbader was gonna cover psionics today. Fran, let's go, but we have to swing past my place, first."
Hugh stood up, and followed Fran down a hallway. Suddenly, a glowing portal opened, and they stepped through it.
The Griffith Observatory is one of the best-known landmarks in Los Angeles. Located on a hill commanding an impressive view of the Los Angeles Basin, including Hollywood, downtown, and the Pacific Ocean. It has been used in such films as Rebel Without a Cause, Terminator, Queen of the Damned, and The Rocketeer, as well as many television series based in and around Southern California.
It was also, at this time, completely encased in ice, which was itself encircled by long vines. Atop the largest dome stood a man dressed in a light blue uniform with white trim, and a woman with long green hair dressed in a dark green leotard that looked like it was made of leaves, light green leggings, and four inch heels. All around the Obervatory, men, women, and children stood either encased in ice or ensnared in foliage; those encased in ice had their heads left free, although many of them had their mouths (but not their noses) covered, preventing them from making a sound.
A portal appeared in the parking lot, and Silver Arrow emerged from it astride a motorcycle. He slid the cycle to a stop as he surveyed the scene. A young woman in a simply two-tone purple bodysuit and full-face cowl stepped out behind him.
"Doorway," Arrow told the girl, "get to Chief Mitchell and tell him I'll need SWAT backup."