Fan Fiction: Robin Hood

Author: Boisterous Hal

Summary: One shot fan fic of Robin's thoughts, as based on the the first fifteen minutes of Series 3, Episode 1 "Total Eclipse". I have lifted some dialogue directly from the show, which is indicated by italics. This has been reuploaded after editing of typographical errors.

Disclaimer: Robin Hood is owned by Foz Allen and Dominic Minghella. Excepting the italics text as explained above, all other material is my own creation.

Revenge Is My Only Friend

She is gone. She is really gone.

This is the thought that hit me when I stepped onto the shores of my beloved England. Never again would my sweet, fair Marian smell the fresh country air of Nottinghamshire, laugh that heavenly laugh of hers, nor smile at me while I held her in my arms and caressed her against my body.

My thoughts once again turned towards revenge, pushing away the memories of my late wife which were recently the cause of my pain. It was revenge towards the man who had taken her life. Gisborne. It was a name like poison upon my lips.

I started running, towards the direction of Nottinghamshire. It was the direction away from my wife's gravesite, and towards my only friend I felt was left in this cruel, unjust world - revenge. My comrades, Little John, Allan A Dale and Much called for me to stop, but they might have been hundreds of miles away.

"Robin! Stop!" they called. I did not care to stop. Revenge was not a friend who liked to be kept waiting.

"Robin, do not do this," Little John implored. I didn't hesitate to knock him out cold. Nothing could stop me now.

"Hey! Hey, Robin!" That traitor, that Judas, Allan, I wished he was far away.

"I said, stop holding me back!"

"You can't do this alone."

"...and what are you doing to do, Allan? Hey? Tell me, what are you going to do? Rat me out?"

"That's a bit harsh."

"Once a traitor, always a traitor."

"That's not fair," said Much. Much, who had always been my greatest supporter, and always at loggerheads with Allan. Now here was Much, leaping to Allan's defense. It was unacceptable.

"You shut up! You leech! You're pathetic!"

"You're tired, Robin..."

"I've had time to think, and I've made up my mind. I don't need you any more. I don't need anything."

"You don't mean that. This is not you..."

"Robin Hood is finished!"

"Don't say that..."

"He died in the Holy Land, all right? With Marian. Now all I have left is vengeance."

"Then let us come with you..." I punched Much roughly, not caring if I hurt him. I quickly drew my sword at an approaching Allan.

"Stop holding me back. I mean it. Get back, now! Don't follow me. It's between me and Gisborne now. Gisborne dies today." I could see them cowering behind their eyes, like they saw a fearsome stranger and not a friend. So be it, if that's how they saw me.

Once again, like I done several times before, I ran off and left them behind.

Soon I was back in Locksley Village, my childhood home. It was almost to my shame that I had pushed all the good memories of this place away, vengeance the only thing filling up my mind. A door opened and I took aim. It was only a child, and looked at me with fearful eyes. Good. It is fear that will keep the young honest.

I stopped in front of Locksley Manor, and took out the ring that I had given to Marian in the Holy Land. It was one of only a few things I had to remember her by, and what I would have given to have her back in my arms again! I fired an arrow through an open window one the top storey, knowing that Gisborne would be lying in bed, smirking away, and that the arrow would narrowly miss him.

"Gisborne!" I bellowed in animalistic rage.

Gisborne exited the Manor. I drew my sword, knowing my time had come to end this. He struck many cowardly blows, angering me even more. To make matters worse, he scooped up the child I had seen earlier and ran off towards high ground. The coward! How dare he bring innocent people into our war! I would make sure he died twice as painfully for this. I gave chase.

The coward led me to a ravine. Or rather us, since half the village had joined us.

"One more step and she goes over!" he growled.

"Please! Not my daughter!"

"Mary!" I didn't want anyone else to be involved in this, but the fool just had to ruin my moment for justice.

"It's all right. Don't be scared," I said to the child.

"I'm not. You're Robin Hood." If only I had as much faith in myself as this brave little girl had in me.

"Gisborne, let her go. I'll drop the weapons."

"You first." He picked the girl up again, threatening to throw her over. For this he would die thrice as painfully.

"All right!" I quickly dropped my weapons, and he let the girl go.

I walked around and confronted Gisborne.

"The time has come to pay for what you did."

"No, it was you. You forced me to do it."

"You murdered her! She didn't love you. You couldn't have her."

"She should have been mine!" Even after all this time, he felt no remorse. Perhaps in this way, we were not so different.

"She was my wife!"

I charged at him, but he was ready. He threw me hard to the ground, and I felt pain shoot through my shoulder. I knew I was slowly losing consciousness, and I didn't even care. He ripped the tag from around my neck. "Prepare to die, Robin Hood," he said simply. I could feel him lift me up, the sound of running water far below me. I thought about how peaceful it would be to join my wife once more, and before I blacked out completely I thought I heard Much's voice shouting at me.

I awoke and felt hands around my neck. I would have retaliated but my body was too weak to cooperate. I looked into the face of a black man, concern on his face as he crouched over my supine body.

"Robin, can you hear me?"

"Yeah. Where am I?"

The man did not respond, and continued to look at me curiously.

"I said, who are you?"

"Brother Tuck. Now hold still..."

"What are you doing? Wait...arrrrrghhhhh!!!"

Pain shot through my left shoulder. It felt like a million daggers had impaled me against the ground. I coughed several times, feeling fire escape my lungs.

"Dislocated. I didn't want to touch it until you were on the mend."

"Did I kill him?

"No."

"Well then I have to finish...!"

"Whoa! You're not going anywhere. Be still."

"You'd best let me up..."

"I said be still!"

He punched me in the face. I faintly heard him say, "Rest in peace, my son" as I drifted off into unconciousness. Rest in peace? Was I going to die? Did I really care? No I didn't, but I knew that revenge would have to wait for the time being.

THE END