Title: Falling Is Not A Problem

Rating/Warnings: Rated T, but may eventually be M.

Word Count: 700

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you see here, except maybe the idea.

Author's Notes: I had originally written a different fic about this, but after reading it and seeing it's absolute awfulness, I decided to try again. Thanks to Dicey for helping me get my shit together, and Annica for looking this over.

I hope everyone enjoys!

Falling Is Not A Problem

Prologue

She's been running for who knows how long. Her feet, legs, her body-it all aches. Everything is on fire, her entire being is exhausted, but she doesn't quit when stuff looks hard, so she moves on, tunnel to tunnel, and wishes she could get out of this maze.

Her own blood marks the walls, and she makes sure she never passes the same wall. She doesn't want to be going in circles, but it looks more and more probable with each passing hour (minute? day?). This is becoming far more difficult than she first imagined.

Footsteps echo through the tunnel, and Helena's body tenses, prepares for a battle she isn't physically ready to fight. "Who's there?" She calls into the darkness, the flame from her small lighter barely giving off light anymore. "Come out."

Stepping forward, into the glow, is a boy.

Instantly, Helena is on guard. She tenses once more, scuttling back so she's nearly pressed against the wall. She sneers, lips turning up as the boy walks closer. And he's not a boy really. He's all man, from what she can tell. He's got long arms, but a thick build, and the hair that hangs across his forehead is a thick layer of black.

"Don't be afraid." The man grins at her, and for a moment he looks like someone she might know back home, but the feeling is gone as quickly as it came. "My name is Robert."

She doesn't offer her name or anything else besides a snarl and a kick. Robert catches her foot easily, pulling her off balance. Helena's arms flail wildly for a moment, and then he is tugging her leg. She falls to the ground, scraping her palms on the jagged rocks.

"What do you want? Send me home."

He tilts his head, smirk crawling up his perfectly sculptured lips. "Home? And where is that?"

"I have a feeling you know," she answers irritably, but she can't move, and his iron grip on her ankle is beginning to hurt.

He squats down, lowering her leg, but still grips it tight in his grasp. "You're being silly-"

The grip on her ankle loosening, Helena kicks, hitting his right in his jewels. She darts to her feet, not even looking to see how he reacted, and darts down the tunnel she'd previously come from. She slips and runs into walls frequently, but she's getting away from him and that's good enough. The crossbow attached to her hip makes loud noises as she runs, but she is too far away from Robert to worry.

At least, she thought so.

She hits something solid, but it isn't the rock walls. It's a warm, human body. Helena attempts to move away, but he pulls her close, hands closing around her arms and keeping her close. She can't wedge a knee up to kick him again. He's breathing heavily, hot against her jaw, and despite the feeling of dread flooding her throat, she shivers.

"I just wanted to talk. Let me talk." His voice is low and dangerous sounding, a lot like Dick's when he gets mad. But this is sexy-this is nothing like her older brother's voice.

"Where are you from? Who are you?" He asks, and they're moving backward, her Nikes kicking up stones as she stumbles with him, being half dragged. Her back presses against the wall painfully, and she winces.

"Listen, sweetheart," he leans close, and she can see the faint outline of his eyes in the darkness. "I'm the only person who knows the way out, and we can help each other."

Her fingers walk their way down to her waist, picking at her crossbow. If she can just get it out without him noticing, she may be able to get free.

"Keep talking," she encourages, leaning against him and attempting to even her breathing. "You've got a nice voice."

"I know how you got here. I know how to get you home."

Her hand freezes against her crossbow, and her breath hitches.

"I thought so," Robert murmurs, touching her face with his hand. "Now lets go back to my place, and we'll talk."

Please review!