AN: Hello everyone. I'm just letting you know that a really good friend of mines did this chapter mainly. I don't feel right if I don't give her credit as well. :)
But none the less enjoy this chapter! ^^
Don't own GX or Robin Hood.
...

Planning an Escape

Ever since their celebration and Jaden had wanted to help out at the church, Jesse could only be concerned that he'll be out in the opening while Viper and the Society of Light are searching for him since they had managed to escape from the tournament. But Jesse knew that Jaden can handle himself.

Later that night, the rain has stopped so Jesse is just about to get ready to leave Springdell Forest to go check on Jaden when he heard someone running in his direction. "Jesse! We have a problem!"

Appearing out of hiding as Father Banner and Sister Dorothy run into the hideout, Ruby perches on Jesse's shoulder as her master is curious about what has these two from the church being so worried about. "Father Banner? Sister Dorothy? What's wrong?"

Being able to catch his breath, Banner faces their hero with his eyes full of fear. "Jesse, i'm afraid we have a terrible situation on our hands."

"We regret to inform you that Sheppard has been arrested for treason against Giese." To hear that one of his best friends has been arrested made Jesse furious.

The two both know that the next thing they are about to inform him about will make his anger worse, but the Father and Sister both knew that Jesse needs to know. "Also, Jaden has been taken back to the palace against his will."

Just as they had thought, Jesse became shocked to hear that his beloved was forced back to the place he had sworn never to return to until Prince Bastian returns. "How did this happen?" Jesse ushers the two to a few chairs as he sits right across from them.

"Well, you heard the bells ringing back at the church right?" Banner asks, receiving a single nod from the bluenette teen. "Friar Sheppard was ringing them in hopes to keep the poor people's spirits up while Jaden did whatever he could to help."

"The young lord is just a wonderful help that he even gave up whatever coins he had so Friar Sheppard could keep them in the poor box." Dorothy adds with a smile spreading across her face at how thoughtful Jaden was.

Seeing how grateful both of them are for what Jaden did to help as much as he could, Jesse then smiles to himself, thankful to the heavens and even the rainbow itself for bringing him and Jaden together.

"However," to hear the seriousness in the Father's tone, the smile on Jesse's face slowly vanished, "that bastard of a sheriff Viper comes waltzing into the church. Dorothy and I stood guard of Jaden as Viper took the coins right out of the poor box to bring back to Giese.

"Then when he noticed Jaden behind us, Viper grabbed his wrist and had started to drag him out of the church when Sheppard stepped right in between the open door and the sheriff, not accepting the behavior the sheriff is doing on his church grounds."

"After Viper had threatened the friar for bad mouthing Giese for the terrible man that he is, Sheppard had forced Viper outside and the two fought for a while. That is, until Chazz gang up on the friar so Viper could put shackles on him." Dorothy paused as the tears became hard to hold back, making it hard for her to tell what had happened next.

Understanding that the next part is too much for Dorothy to word it, Banner places a comforting hand on the weeping Sister's shoulder and he finished explaining. "Just as they were leaving, Jaden ran out into the rain, begging Viper not to take Sheppard to jail. But that man ignored his pleas and threatened Jaden that if he didn't go back to the palace with them, then he would have you and Blair pay for his refusal with your lives."

To hear that Jaden was threatened caused Jesse to feel like he had just been stabbed hard in the heart. Seeing their hero trying to keep his anger under control, he could hear Banner finish up with his voice breaking as well, "Jaden had no choice but to go with them, no matter how much he didn't want to."

For Viper to arrest Sheppard did make the hero furious. But for that sheriff to threaten Jaden that he would have him and Blair killed, now that is unacceptable.

Having heard that someone had rushed into the hideout, Jim, Blair, and Ms Fontaine enter the room to find Jesse having one hand to his head while Banner is doing what he can to cheer up Dorothy. "Ay, mate. What's going on?"

Straightening up, Jim and the girls could see strong anger across the hero's face. "To shorten the info I received from Father Banner and Sister Dorothy, Sheppard has been arrested for treason and Jaden has been taken back to the palace against his free will."

To hear that their friends have been taken to that awful place, Jim and the girls are in total shock. With a plan coming to mind, Jesse leads Jim to another room so they can discuss the plan while Banner comforts the women the best he can.

...jxj…

Back at the palace, Giese is in the throne room with piles of gold coins and all kinds of cards scattered in the room with Adrian standing right beside the throne. Watching his King, Adrian could see Giese glaring off into space, tapping his fingers on one arm of the throne. "Sire, I have noticed that you're not being yourself this evening." Adrian tries to have a conversation with the silent furious man.

Figuring out something that could cheer up his King, Adrian starts with the many suggestions coming to mind. "I know that you have not count your money or check what cards you have received for days. That always cheer you up."

Well, that didn't do it as Giese just sits there, sending daggers to no one in particular while a certain hero haunts his thoughts.

Then he thought about the news he had received from Viper an hour before. "Sire I have marvelous news: Friar Sheppard has been arrested and…"

However Adrian wasn't able to finish his sentence when Giese jumped to his feet, causing any piles closest to him to scatter. "Friar Sheppard? No, you idiot! It's Jesse Anderson I want! Why I would spend even my whole fortune if I could finally get my hands on him!"

But then Giese remembered who it was that had been arrested. He knows full well of how much of an important friend the friar is to the outlaw. "You said Friar Sheppard, right?"

"Yes sir." Adrian answers nervously.

Giese then lets out a sneaky smirk. "Knowing how much of good friends those two are, I believe that I'll have that disloyal friar lead to the gallows after the first light of dawn, where that heroic outlaw will attempt to save that 'holy' man."

"Are you sure that this plan will work unlike your last traps? That outlaw has been very successful of not only outsmarting you, but turning you into a complete fool." Adrian is somewhat doubtful that this plan will work.

"I know this plan will work out perfectly, my doubtful cloud. Once the hero arrives on the scene to save his friend, my men shall be ready.

"Now then," with his next plan all figured out, Giese faces Adrian and asks, "was there something else you have to report?"

Adrian just knew that his King is going to be so happy when he hears this. "Yes. Sheriff Viper has also found the young lord and he has brought him home."

To hear that his cousin has been brought back to where he belongs, Giese did indeed smile at that report. "Thank you for your report, Sir Adrian. Now, I need you to inform the sheriff of my plan so he can prepare the gallows. Now I'm going to go see my cousin."

"Very well, sire." With that, Adrian bows to his King before leaving the room to find Viper while Giese went into the direction of Jaden's room.

...jxj...

Standing before his cousin's bedroom door, Giese straightens up his attire and then knocks on the door. "Who is it?" Giese smiles when he hears his cousin's sweet voice. However he failed to notice that his voice sounded like he's been crying a lot.

"Jaden, my dear lad, it's me."

Inside the room, Jaden freezes when he hears his wicked cousin outside his room. Ever since he had arrived back at the palace, Jaden had immediately locked the door so no one could come in and sat on the bed, burying his face in his knees. Winged Kuriboh, Neos, and all of the monsters in his deck had come out of the cards and kept Jaden company while he's forced to stay at the place he never wants to be at with Giese.

Knowing how scared Jaden is of his own cousin, Winged Kuriboh let his master hold him tightly in his arms like a teddy bear with his wings wrap around his chest while Burstinatrix sat beside him on his bed, holding him like a mother would comfort her child.

Not receiving an answer from his cousin, Giese goes for the doorknob only to discover that the door is locked. "Jaden?"

"Go away, Trapper." Jaden demands as Burstinatrix holds him closer while Avian sits beside her and Neos sitting at the foot of the bed, the two sending death glares to the man behind the door.

For his cousin to call him that nickname shocked the phony King. "Jaden, why are you being like this? I was so worried about you after that outlaw kidnapped you."

"For one, Jesse did NOT kidnap me. I chose to run away with him and his men. And two, you and your men brought everyone in Roseston nothing but pain and sorrow. All you've ever done is trap everyone within this kingdom to your cruel, strict rules. The villagers, my friends and Jesse never deserved to be treated with such cruelty. You're never fit to be king. Prince Bastian is more fitting to rule!"

To hear that his cousin still prefers his younger brother as the rightful king, Giese could feel his anger reach its peak. "Jaden, your mind has been corrupted by that filthy outlaw. This is not how you really feel!"

"These are my own words, Trapper. And the last thing I'll say to you tonight is this; I never once felt anything but fear from just being next to you. I hate your bloody guts and I want to never be here until the rightful king returns. I don't ever want to see your face or ever hear your terrible voice for the rest of my life!"

His anger in full control, Giese grabs at the doorknob again when he realized that the knob is extremely hot as if someone placed a Firestone on it. Burstinatrix had sent a stream of fire at the door knob so the burning heat seaps through the metal so Giese would get nothing but a scorching burn.

Having failed to have Jaden rethink his behavior, Giese storms away from the hallway. To hear his footsteps become faint until he could no longer hear them, Jaden buries his face in his knees, the tears returning to his still puffy eyes. "Bastian, please return soon so all of this suffering can end."

Looking up over his knees, Jaden glances out the window to the starry night sky. "Jesse, please hurry and get me out of this hellhole." he begs the heavens, hoping that his prayer can be heard.

...jxj…

In the empty courtyard, the gallows has just been completely set up with Viper adjusting the noose so it can easily fit over Sheppard's head with Chazz and Chumley on top of the frame, finishing with putting the frame together.

With the noose just at the right size, Viper examines the gallows to be sure everything is in place for tomorrow morning's execution. "Well boys, it appears everything is in great shape for the execution."

"I'm looking forward to seeing that outlaw finally getting what he deserves for making a fool out of the King." Chazz smirks at the thought that this rescue mission could be Jesse's last.

Coming down from atop the frame, Chumley then reaches for the lever that will cause the trap door to give way. With the lever pulled, Viper falls right through with an annoyed grunt. With Chazz and Viper sending him annoyed glares, Chumley realized the error at his action. "Oops, sorry Sheriff."

Then Sheriff Viper just slumps his shoulders and says as Chazz helps him out of the trap, "That doesn't matter. Everything is all set for the execution tomorrow morning. Come the first light of dawn, the Friar shall get what he deserves for being loyal to that outlaw hero and Prince."

With everything prepared, the sheriff and the two guards take their posts to keep an eye out for anything to happen later tonight. However, unknown to the three, a certain outlaw and his two companions were peering from behind a few stone walls, listening closely to what Giese and his men have planned.

"Those three don't realize that that execution is not going to take place. There's going to be a jailbreak tonight." Jesse sends a death glare to the three's retreating backs.

"Mate, you realize that this plan is risky." Jim reminds the hero of what is at stake if they fail.

"We have to do this, Jim. Otherwise Sheppard could be seeing his last light of dawn. While we're at it, we must get Jaden out of here as well as everyone in jail."

Understanding how determined Jesse is to put an end to Giese's rein while saving everyone, Jim could now only accept the fact that they must do this.