Yay, I'm back. Sorry for the disappearance but I have a lot of exams coming up and as usual I left study until the last minute :(
Enjoy.
Dead Men Don't Walk.
Robin growled to himself, he didn't have time for Marian's bloody heroics. It was hard enough trying to keep everyone alive without her trying to get involved.
It was dark outside already. The sparkling stars above him seemed to be laughing at him-mocking him. They seemed so God damn free but here on Earth freedom had a price, even if some people didn't like to admit it.
"Smooth Robin. Really smooth" called Carter from behind, jogging to reach him.
"I wasn't aiming for smooth" he replied not slowing his pace.
"Look would you just slow down? Your going to make your injuries even worse!"
"Yeah sure I'll slow down!" Snapped Robin turning around to face him "I may as well take the next few days off too! It not like someone's trying to kill me and practically everyone I know is it? And it's not like Vaiseys trying to fuck up the place. Sure I'll slow down!"
"Hasn't that always been the way? This whole Vaisey thing?" asked Carter a smile tugging at his lips
Robin chuckled lightly "yeah it kinda has hasn't it. With me anyway."
"A magnet for a trouble" Carter told him.
They continued walking, a silent apology passing over them.
"So where are we going?" asked Carter curiously.
"To see King.""
What?"
"King, you know him, the local-"
"Drug lord. Yes I know him. Why him though?"
"Because he is the local drug lord. We need to find if he's still friendly us."
"And if he is not?"
"If he is not then he's with Vaisey and we have another enemy."
"Right then, we'll just visit King for a cup of tea. No worries."
"Yeah." Robin didn't seem to get Carters sarcasm.
After a lot of persuading Marian finally convinced John to drive her home. After all, the last place they would expect her to be would be the very place she was supposed to be. She needed to keep an eye on her father she couldn't just leave him there as it was still pretty dangerous. The gun that she carried being a reminder of this. John had given it to her just before she hopped out of the car. It felt so heavy, a burden, and Marian didn't think she could ever get used to its alien feel. She silently turned the key in the door and then closed it behind her hoping that her father would be asleep, but the light emerging from the living room said otherwise.
"Where were you?" he demanded.
"Out."
"Out? You think you can just come waltzing in here at this time without me even knowing where you were?"
"I'm 17, I can look after myself!" she replied.
"No you can not." He said firmly.
"You can't keep me in a bubble for the rest of my life! You can't protect me from everything."
"Your grounded."
"Grounded? Are you serious" she had never been grounded in her life then again she never acted like this with him before.
"Dead serious, go to your room."
"Why does everyone think that they know better that me? I have a brain too y'know!" Marian then continued her journey up the stairs, biting her lip so that she wouldn't say anymore.
"No ones forcing you to stay Will, you have your family to think of." Djac told him gently.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"You must be really brave doing this" she said "it's not easy."
"Me brave? Your the one who is brave Djac."
She blushed lightly and bent her head.
"I mean it, you are so strong...brave. You see Djac, I...I never told you how I feel...I-I..."
Djac raised her head and planted a kiss on his lips. "That" she said pulling away "is how I feel."
Stupid bloody alarm clock was all Marian could think of, she reached out and hit sleep. It refused to turn off so she hit it harder. Still hearing the noise she woke up fully, it wasn't an alarm ring more like a phone-her fathers. Groggily she got out of her warm bed and threw on a dressing gown. Who the hell rang at quarter to three in the morning. It must be something as her Dad's work only rang at this time if there was an emer-hang on, her father was working on the O.L.s case. Cursing to herself she headed down the stairs taking two at a time
"Okay, I'm on my way." She heard him say hanging up the phone.
"Dad...what's wrong?"
"They're on a rampage, all over town!"
"Who?"
"The O.L.s. We've found three bodies already and their still counting."
"I thought they were sort of good?" she asked feebly.
Her father threw on his jacket "they are a criminal organisation Marian. There is no good in those people!"
'No good in those people' her mind flickered to Robin and what he may be doing right now.
"I want you to stay here, don't do anything stupid."
She nodded.
"I know I usually don't..." he said and carefully handed her handgun.
"I know I can trust you with this."
Marian nodded again, choosing not to tell her father that she already had one
He kissed her on the forehead "I love you Marian."
"I love you too" she whispered.
As soon as he shut the door she was up in her room getting ready to go out.
"That went well" said Carter.
"True, considering his bodyguard only threatened you once."
"And considering the fact you didn't blow up anything. Your improving y'know."
"Yeah. So King's neutral and if I judged correctly he's a bit sided towards us."
"Still can't be too careful, Vaisey might give him a good deal" said Carter.
"Mmmm, but King knows Vaisey has just power in mind all we want is peace and King knows as long as he keeps to himself, we're good."
Carter turned up the radio looking for good music while Robin made a mental list of what to do.
Carter suddenly froze. "You hear that Robin?"
Robin turned his attention to the radio.
"As well as fires" read the newsreaders robotic voice "there has been reports of three deaths in the city of Nottingham. Police say the O.L.s are behind the rampage..."
"That's not us" said Carter.
Robin tightened his grip on the wheel "Vaisey."
Much hoped from foot to another, being in situations like this always made him jumpy. On the bright side everyone in this house got out alive but after that the poor family lwere not so lucky. Neighbours frantically bought water but it was fruitless. The flames just burned higher with no sign of emergency services.
"Is this...like normal stuff for you?" asked Much.
"No" said Viv "it's hardly ever this chaotic or confusing. We nearly always know what we're doing and it was definitely never as widespread as this."
Djac rejoined them, her face crestfallen "all the tires of the fire engines and ambulances are slit. That's why there is no help coming."
"Gits" growled Will, he turned to face the two approaching people, Robin and Carter, he nodded at them.
"Well?" asked Djac.
"No luck" responded Robin. "All Vaisey's men are long gone, it's to late to stop them, they're already done."
"Robin?" asked Carter his eyes on the family. "Is that Matt Denver?"
Robin nodded. "Vaisey's not just hitting randomly, Matt was going to bear witness against him in court."
"Just like Peter and his wife Mary, their deaths are not your fault, they chose to get involved."
"The baby didn't choose."
Carter sighed, there was no convincing him.
"Hey, what's going on?" asked Marian, jogging up to join the group.
"Vaisey is on a rampage and blaming us. Three people died in a house fire already" said Viv.
"What are you dong here Marian?" demanded Robin before she even had a chance to reply to Viv.
"Same as everyone else."
"You shouldn't be here."
"And what, everyone else should?" she snapped.
"They came in groups not alone."
Marian chose just to leave it at that, reminding herself of his previous outbreak.
"So what now?" asked Much.
"There's not much we can do now" said Robin sadly.
A fire engine finaly came but it was to late for the crumbling house. Not to be dettered the firemen still got and set to work as though there may be still some hope for the house.
Two hours later the sun was starting to rise and things starting to calm.
They all decided to call it a day, or a night as it were.
The sombre silence was broken by a "hey lads", Allen.
Seven heads turned silently in his direction.
"You betrayed us" stated Viv.
"Look, if you just-" he tried
"If you just shut up" growled Robin.
Allen gulped.
"What are you doing here?"
"I want to say that I'm not with Vaisey, like, I want to come back."
"You expect us to take you back?" asked Carter.
"Well, yeah, it would be nice."
"Yeah and it was real nice the way you betrayed us" retorted Much.
"Allen, this way" said Robin quietly.
Allen just stood there as Robin walked down the unlit alleyway.
"It wasn't a question" Robin ordered making Allen follow him.
Viv sniffed and went back into the car.
The crisp silence of the dawn was soon broken by that of a single clear gunshot echoing of the narrow alley way.
Robin soon returned wordlessly, hood up, hiding his face.
"Allen...?" asked Marian trailing off.
"Dead men don't walk" was Robin's crisp reply.
The black polo stopped and Marian still didn't have a decent conversation with him. Her hopes of talking to him, him saying sorry, all went down the drain. She wasn't used to this side of Robin, she used to find it so easy talk to him, so easy to feel at ease but now?
"Bye" She didn't receive a reply but then again she din't want to talk to him after what happened. Angrily she put her hand on the door handle eager to get out.
"Stay in the car" Robin ordered his eyes not leaving her house.
"What's wrong?"
"The doors open."
"And whats-" She stopped realising the time.
Robin pulled out his black M9 and flicked safety off and motioned for her to follow him.
"Don't you want me to stay in the car?" she asked nervously.
"I did but the danger might be outside the house."
Wordlessly she followed him, her footsteps not as soundless as his. He really was good at this whole businsess
The front door was lying on its hinges, obviously this was not a case of her father forgetting to close the door.
Robin scanned the hall before entering the room on his left, he put his gun down and let Marian run past him.
Edward was lying on the floor, his shirt soaked in blood and barely conscience.
"Oh Dad what happened?" she sobbed.
"I think I might have spoke out against Vaisey too much" he replied weakly. "Marian, I heard of what you did" he whispered "what your doing...its brave...foolish but...brave. It is good to dream Marian." He paused" I love you."
"No, no don't say that. We're going to get you to hospital and you'll be fine. Right Robin?"
Robin had his wounds uncovered, two wounds to the stomach, he was barely able to make them out with all the blood.
"No. Your going to be fine Dad" she half begged, but he just smiled at her than closed his eyes .
"Dad, wake up!" she begged but to no avail.
"Marian" said Robin slowly "his pulse is gone, the injuries were to severe."
"No, no. You survived he can too."
"I got one to the shoulder not two to the stomach" he told her.
Tears started to run freely as the death of her father finally hit her."This is my fault" she whispered.
"No it's not."
"This is my fault" she repeated standing up.
Robin stood up and held her shoulders "it is not your fault."
She tried to pull back but he grabbed her firmly.
"Let me go. I should have stayed here, none of this would have happened."
"If you had stayed here you would be dead too, they were trained and had guns."
"I should have-" she argued.
"You would not have been able to do anything!"
"You would have" she shouted "you would have been able to protect him wouldn't you?"
Robin didn't answer, she was probably right the, he should checked on him better, he should have…
"Oh Robin, I didn't mean to say that" she sobbed realizing what way it had come out. "I meant that I should be better, as good as you. That I..."
Robin pulled her into him. He stroked her brown curls as she buried her head into him.
"You don't want to be like me" he whispered to her "you don't want to be good at killing, it's not a nice skill."He stayed there just holding her. He knew there was no words of comfort for things like this.
Marian was vaguely aware of someone carrying her from the car to inside a house and onto a couch.
Everything was telling her to sleep, her tired body, her body, her head, that weird calming voice in her head-hang on that was probably Robin, yep she definitely needed sleep. That calm deep voice was her telling her to go to sleep, it had that air of 'I'm right I know everything' but lacking in the usual cockiness.
"Kay" she answered. She placed her head on his chest, matching her heartbeat with his the rise an fall of their chest sinking into one.
Marian opened her eyes slowly, she smiled to herself seeing that she was in the same position although in her sleep a blanket had been placed around her and Robin was messing around with a laptop.
"Morning sleep head" joked Robin feeling her stir.
Marian yawned in response, was it half one all ready?
"Did you sleep much?" she asked.
"I'm getting round to it."
Marian gave him the look.
"Okay, okay, chill. I'll try to do it later."
Marian poked him hard in the ribs." You work to hard, rest!"
"Ouch, sheesh, I will do it later promise."
"Better" she said. She looked at the laptop sitting on robins lap, the screen was split into four each appeared to be CCTV footage "how did you get that?"
"It's called Hacking my dear Marian."
She shook her head at him as he continued going trough his footage.
"Marian" he said stopping his work "the way I treated you, I'm sorry, I just don't want to lose you and I can't get that picture of what Vaizey said out of my head..."
"I'm the one who should be apologising I practically blamed you for my fathers death."
"No, this is different. I shouldn't have treated you like that."
"Quits?"
"I-quits."
Marian sighed contently, her Robin was back.
As she got back one person she remembered the other two that she had lost, Allen and her father. To lose one parent was bad but now she was practically an orphan. She tried to supress the feeling that was rising in her chest. She had to put on a brave face like everyone else. Face her fears and try and forget about things like the loss of her father.
But as bleak as things were, things were starting to look up in way and she was finally starting get her head around all this confusion.
Things were starting to become more straightforward, that was, until Allen walked in…
Cliffies and twists, the joys of being an author.
I'll be pretty busy the next few weeks so don't expect any sudden updates.
But as the saying goes "reviews make fingers type faster." (Not exactly a saying, but it's pretty common here on FF.)
