So, I had this idea, and this story is only gonna be about five chapters. I hope you like it! (By the way, the five chapters do NOT include this one, as it is a prologue, and there may be an epilogue...maybe.)


"Lisa, I don't have time for this," I groaned, stretching my arms high above my head. I glanced over at her and frowned, hating the way she ignored my protests.

"Darling, you need to make time," she scolded, applying lip gloss to her large, pouty lips. She capped the container and tossed it in her overflowing make up bag, smacking her lips with an annoying pop. "You always say you're too busy, then you sit home and do nothing."

My frown deepened, "Alright, maybe I just don't want to go."

She turned to face me, abandoning her reflection in the mirror in favor of scowling at me. She anchored her hands on her hips and her feet spread to give her a firm stance. "Listen here you little brat, I don't care if you don't want to go out, you are and that's final. Tonight isn't about you, its about me!" I scoffed and rolled my eyes at her. "Don't roll your eyes at me missy! You can be moody and whatever at the pub, as long as you are there!"

I made a noise of disgust, "The pub is always dirty and smelly, and everyone there looks like they'd mug me without a second thought." Lisa turned away from me and faced the mirror once again, touching up her mascara. "Besides, a cute guy will catch your eye and you'll throw me to the wolves."

"Of course darling," she grinned. "You're no fun, I need someone to," she paused, glancing at me through the mirror and winking at me, "entertain me."

I watched her stab at her eye with more eyeliner and I sighed, she wasn't going to drop this anytime soon. It wasn't that I don't like my roommate, I adore her, its other people I don't like. "Fine, I'll go." I saw her open her mouth with a smile, but I interrupted her, "On one condition!"

She groaned, "Well, what is it?"

"Give me a bit of warning before you disappear this time Lisa," I told her, wagging my finger in her direction with mock disappointment. "If I spend another night scouring the city, looking for your sorry ass, I'm going to dump you in the streets and get another flatmate."

She laughed at me and gave me a three finger salute, "Scout's honor, Robin!"

"And you have to pick out my outfit, but nothing skanky!" I added the last part quickly, watching her eyes gleam with mischievous delight. I let her flounce to my bedroom and I heard her dig through my closet. I slumped down in my reading chair and scratched my head in thought. I swear, that woman is going to be the death of me, with her disappearing out of the blue and giving me a heart attack.

I thought back to the last time I went out with her, the last time I visited the 'friendly' neighborhood pub. I was brooding in the corner, like usual, and Lisa was frolicing about with her neon hair and her low-cut blouse, flirting with anything that stands up when it pees. She must have caught some poor soul, because when I scanned the bar for her next, she was gone. I panicked, of course, and practically demanded the barkeep tell me where she went. The poor guy looked afraid of my sudden action and did nothing but point at the back door. I ran through the slums of London, searching for my roomie, only to find her in a pay-by-the-hour motel three blocks from our apartment. I was furious, but she didn't understand why I freaked. Let's just say I learned to never go out with her, she'll just leave me for some douche and tell no one.

"How about this?" Lisa called, holding a dress out of my doorway. I glanced over the modest cut and deep blue color and nodded my approval, allowing her to pull me from my seat and shove me into my room. I left the door wide open as I peeled off my comfortable sweatpants and t-shirt, throwing the dress over my head and listening to Lisa babble. "Just remember Robin; liquor before beer, you're in the clear. Beer before liquor, never been sicker."

"I know how the saying goes, Mother."

"Its just, you haven't been out in a while," she defended, pulling out my make up and plugging in my hair curler. "I just want you to remember your limits, you have work tomorrow." I walked over to her and turned my back on her, silently asking her to zip me up. She complied, still talking, "I remember you once did four shots of straight vodka and immediately threw up, blaming me the next morning."

"It was your fault!" I protested. "I was tipsy and you dared me, you know I can't refuse a challenge!"

"You almost got fired that day too," she continued, ignoring me, again. She pushed me onto the bathroom stool, brushing through my hair almost mindlessly. "Woulda lost that comfy desk job with those lovely benefits."

I scowled at her, "If you're mocking me, you better stop."

"Oh, I'm not mocking Darling," she cooed. "I'm simply saying that your job is extremely dull." She tested the curler and began working on my long, chestnut hair. I could feel the heat close to my skull, but I trusted her well-practised hands.

"Dull it may be, but its better than working with people all day," I grumbled, tugging at the bottom of my dress. "And if I mess up, I don't have to worry about angry customers."

"I don't mess up! All of the ladies who sit in my chair love my work!" She sprayed me with hairspray and continued, "You can't deny that you hate your job, you could do so much better!"

My shoulders slumped and I sighed. "I may hate the job, but it keeps this lousy roof over our heads."

She huffed, "I pay rent here too, you know!"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Less than a third of what I pay."

She tugged a little harder than necessary on my hair, forcing me to look up at her. "You know I appreciate everything you do for me Robin," she told me, her face suddenly serious and her gaze soft. "Without you, I would still be some cast-out freak without a penny to my name."

I smiled at her, "You know I'd do it all again in a heart beat."

"And that's why I love you!" she cheered, finishing my hair with another spritz of hairspray. She walked around me with make up in hand and began working on my face. I closed my eyes and held still, barely feeling her feather-light touches. She finished my face in silence, placing some of her less tacky jewelry around me neck and wrist. "Now, off to the pub we go!"


I sat in the corner booth, nursing a bottle of beer in my hands. I watched Lisa like a hawk, not caring that I looked creepy to the other patrons in the bar. I watched her stumble around, already tipsy and in the mood for some 'action'. I sighed and relaxed further into my seat, glancing down at my beer. It was only the second bottle, and I barely drank half of it.

Lisa leaned heavily onto some dark haired man. He looked a bit older than her usual prey, maybe in his late thirties, early forties, but her flirted right back with her. I didn't trust his dark eyes or his smug smile, but I also don't really trust anyone here. Lisa calls me paranoid, but I like to think of myself as simply cautious. Lisa bat her eyelashes at him and smiled one of her slow, supposedly sexy smiles. He held out his arm to her and she gladly took it, the two of them heading towards the exit.

I let out a harsh growl and pulled out my wallet, slamming some money on the table and darting after them. The door opened with a bang and I searched the surrounding area for any sign of her. When there was none I kicked a car out of my way a yelled, "Dammit Lisa!"

I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jacket, which I never bothered to take off in the bar. I was about to start walking home when I heard it. At first it simply sounded like an animal had got into the trash, but when I listened closer, I could hear a muffled yell. I froze and debated the situation. For one, I could be right in the assumption that someone is either fighting or struggling in the nearby alleyway. Or two, it could be two lovers, canoodling outside of the bar. I debated my options for a second before I started running to the alleyway, bursting onto the scene with my hand on the pepper spray in my pocket.

Lisa's eyes locked on mine with fear and my heart almost stopped. The man from the bar had his hand over her mouth and a knife in his hand, an evil glint in his eye. He traced the blade down her throat and I saw her gulp with fear, her adam's apple bobbing. I forgot to think as I rushed forward, knocking the man from her with my weight. I heard Lisa take a deep, panicked breath as his hand was forcefully removed and the knife vanished from her neck. He hit the ground hard and I landed on top of him, pushing him with my hands as I scrambled to get up.

"Lisa!" I called, never taking my eyes off of the man before me. He glared at me and slowly got up, wiping his hands on his pants.

"I'm okay!" she yelled back at me, her voice a bit shaky. I ignored her then, focusing at the man before me.

I clenched my hand on the pepper spray still in my pocket as I waited for him to do something. Suddenly he lunged, his hands grabbing at air as I tried to quickly dodge left. He barely missed me, grabbing the back of my coat and yanking me towards him. My butt hit the ground hard and I winced. I felt my eyes widen in fear as I ripped out the pepper spray, barely checking that I had it pointed the right way before I pushed the button.

He let out a scream of pain and clutched at his eyes, dropping to the ground. I scooted backwards, my legs shaking as I watched him squirm. "Robin?" Lisa called, coming up behind me and touching my shoulder.

I looked up at her a smiled, though it came out as more of a grimace. "I'm okay," I assured her. "Though, that was a little close for comfort."

She nodded her agreement and helped me up, my knees knocking with adrenaline and fear. "You bitch!" that man shouted from the ground, still rubbing at his eyes. My eyes narrowed and I ran forward, kicking him as hard as I could in the knee.

"Whoa there!" Lisa yelped, surprised.

I felt my fear recedes and I turned to her, "What do we do with him?"

Lisa shrugged and stared curiously at my dark expression.


"Listen to this!" Lisa shouted from our tiny living room. I looked over at her from my perch on the kitchen counter, waiting for her to continue as I ate my cereal. "'Man found in park, completely naked with four words written on his chest; 'I'm a dangerous pig. Authorities currently have no idea how the man go there, but after taking fingerprints they have connected him to three previously unsolved crimes. The man is currently in custody and refuses to say anything about the previous charges, but demands the police find the women who did this to him.'" Lisa smiled at me, "Serves him right!"

It was two days after the incident at the bar and Lisa continued to gush about how heroic I was. I found it rather irritating, but I allowed her to rave as I assumed it was her way of getting over the whole thing. "We're just lucky he deserved prison, or we could be in trouble."

"It was your idea," Lisa reminded me, folding the newspaper and setting it on the crumbling coffee table next to her. "It was bloody brilliant too!"

I scoffed, "It wasn't brilliant, it was stupid!"

"Aw, c'mon Robin! The ladies at the supermarket are calling you a vigilante!"

"A vigilante? Really?" my tone was dark and upset, I'm not some stupid vigilante.

"Yes!" she cheered, standing from the couch and pacing. "And Mrs. Noris from next door said it was finally time that someone stood up to those no-good delinquents in the neighborhood!"

"What are you trying to get at, Lisa?" I asked, finishing my bowl and dumping it into the sink. I ran it under the water for a moment while Lisa tried for a dramatic pause. When I turned around she was right in front of me, and excited smile in her face.

She grabbed my hands and held them in her's, "We should fight crime!"

"No," I immediately answered, my face serious and a bit angry.

Her expression dropped, "It would be good for this neighborhood!"

"This neighborhood has been in the gutter since we moved in!" I protested. "We moved to the slums because its cheap, we knew what we were getting into!"

"Yes, but think of the good we could do!" She lifted my hands in a dramatic flourish, a dreamy look in her eyes. "You could be Robin Hood, and I'll be Maid Lisa!"

"We barely came out unscathed! What makes you think we could actively got out and stop bad guys?" I asked, incredulous.

"Well, you took self defense classes," she started, listing off reasons while counting them on her fingers. "I'm surprisingly strong, and you are practically a genius!"

"I'm not that smart," I told her, accepting the other reasons as the truth.

I watched her face change and I saw that she had me trapped, "If we do this, then no one will have to go through what you did."

I scowled at her, not accepting that. "It was a long time ago, things are different now."

"No they aren't, and you know that," she looked deep into my eyes, begging me to say yes. "I know you miss him, and I know that you know it still happens to people, especially in our area." She brought me closer and hugged me tightly. "I promise that this will be good for you, I know that you want to protect the wonderful people we share our lives with, and I know that you want to do this," she paused, pushing me back to look me in the eyes. "For your brother."


Well, how was that? Please review! I really, really, REALLY want you to! And, as this was just a simple prologue, it is shorter than the other chapters will be, and it does not have all of the characters in it, yet. PLEASE REVIEW!