by DAN MONTY
“You’re serious?” John asked and Robin nodded.
“Yes I am," Robin replied and John shook his head.
“We are fugitives from the Sheriff of Nottingham. We refused to pay his ridiculous taxes and fled the city. They hunted us down like dogs, but we came here. The machines don’t bother searching the forest... heck no one does. All the trees and shit messes with their surveillance equipment,” John said and Robin nodded.
“The sheriff has got machines doing the work of men. The cops, the guards... even the army are all robots. The bloody war taught the king and all his bloody horses nothing! Machines don’t have bloody feelings! They just hunt you down and they’ll put you down! The sheriff might as well be a machine himself the way he bloody bows to the every barking order of the king too! The King’s bloody half his age!” John said and Robin nodded in agreement. One of the other men spoke up, a younger man in a red leather outfit.
“People are forced to pay rent and taxes they can’t possibly afford and when they can’t, they are thrown out of their homes and onto the streets. It doesn’t matter if they have families or not. The king doesn’t care about the poor! The rich get treated like kings while the poor suffer and get kicked to the curb!” The younger man said. Robin nodded his head, looking at the younger man.
“What’s your name, son?” Robin asked and the younger man smiled.
“Will Scarlet,” he replied and Robin nodded, rubbing his chin.
“Well, Will Scarlet.. you’re absolutely right. The king doesn’t care. The sheriff doesn’t care. They want to keep the wealthy fat and giggly, while the poor fight to live on scraps. I can’t allow it to continue. The law has become lawlessness and people are hungry. I promise you we can make a difference,” Robin said and John suddenly raised an eyebrow.
“We? How in the blazes can the three of us make a difference?” John asked and Robin sighed.
“We fight,” Robin replied. The third man finally spoke up seeming unsure.
“We are but three men!” The man said and Robin nodded.
“What’s your name?” Robin asked and the man lit a cigarette.
“Gilbert Whitehand. I’m an archer, sir" Gilbert said and Robin nodded.
“Gil, we are but four and we can be more. We will seek others to join our rebellion. We will rob the rich. Give back to the poor. We will overthrow the sheriff's machines and give the planet of Sherwood back to the people. If we don’t act now, soon it will be too late. Others will die, I promise you. More people will senselessly starve. That’s why I’ve come back. Will you join me?” Robin asked glancing at each of the three men in turn.
“I’ll join ya," John said, turning to Will and Gilbert who both nodded in agreement. Robin smiled and the four men sat around the fire eating and talking.
Chapter three: the good friar
Friar Tuck was once a greedy monk. A travelling preacher who spoke the word of God, who wanted to have his cake and eat it too, which he did – every greedy morsel. People would donate money to the chapel, confess their sins and the friar would collect the offerings, storing them away for that rainy day... The day when it poured, and the greed in his heart forced him to flee the chapel and hit the road.
He had escaped the city and almost the planet when he had first met Robin, who had told him to give the money to the poor. The friar had obliged begrudgingly at first, but over time he and Robin had become friends.
Friar Tuck had opened a small bar just before Robin had been forced to return to Loxley to fight in the crusades. He had been finally making an honest business. He had met a singer named Marion who had eventually agreed to work with him at what became known as ‘The Friar’s bar’.
Robin had come in to his bar three months earlier, and had been a sight for sore eyes. Even under the green hooded tunic and ski mask, Tuck had recognized him. He had known the man for years, but since he had returned from the war, Robin had seemed different. Like he was fixing to do a foolish thing, and Tuck could feel it. The friar had done enough foolish things in his time to know when a man was up to something, and he didn’t need to see Robin’s face to see it.
Then of course there was Marion, who had seen him and, like Tuck, she had known who this mysterious man under the hood was. The pair had a history, Tuck knew that, but Marion had waited for Robin to come back from the crusades, no doubt waiting for him to marry her. Alas, Robin had said he had other business on the planet, which had upset Marion. Tuck hated to see Marion upset, but he also knew she was tough. If anyone could wait for the man she loved, it was Marion. She could wait for anything.
Tuck locked the door of the bar and turned on his heel walking right into a tall man with long dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His clothes were black and he wore a crimson cloak. Tuck needed only to look into the man’s eyes to know who he was – The sheriff of Nottingham and the right hand man of the King.
“Going somewhere, Friar?” The sheriff asked, a low, English accent giving his voice the edge of a man with money, breeding and absolute power.
“Sheriff! Good evening, sir! Yes... yes I was just shutting up for the night. I was about to head home," Tuck replied as the sheriff glared at him, patiently running a hand through his dark beard.
“I see. You owe rent on this establishment, Mr Tuck. I don’t mind lateness, but ignorance is unacceptable. You have been ignoring my emails. Are you trying to annoy me, Mr Tuck?” The sheriff asked and Tuck shook his head from side to side, his eyes wide with shock.
“Oh no sir! I er... I... I just haven’t been able to go through all of my emails yet. Blasted spam an all, You understand?” Tuck pleaded. The sheriff only grinned.
“Two thousand credits by Friday, Tuck. The next time I visit, it will be with lawmen and weapons of their choosing. I’d hate for you to have to explain your sins to the almighty father earlier than intended. Don’t disappoint me. One week," the sheriff said, bumping past the friar and stepping down the neon lit street.
Tuck sighed heavily, cursing under his breath. There was no way he was going to be able to come up with that kind of money in a week. Business had been slow, taxes had been raised and the bar barely attracted enough people to cover the costs of rent as it was. He looked up into the night sky, watching the lit up flying vehicles as they shot through the air miles above.
That was when he saw what looked like a man jumping from one of the flying cars to another, perching high above the street on a stone gargoyle that protruded from a building. Tuck rubbed his eyes looking back where he had seen the figure, but the man... or whatever it was... was gone. Tuck continued down the street.
*****
On the rooftops above, following closely – Robin Hood and Will Scarlet navigated the gaps between rooftops, running and leaping through the air, gaining momentum as they ran faster and faster across the rooftops of glass and steel. Will fired an arrow from his crossbow, launching a cable across to another building, pulling it tightly as he leapt off the ledge, swinging across the gap between the buildings, flipping through the air to avoid a collision with a passing taxi which beeped suddenly as the driver steered the flying vehicle to avoid the crazy swinging man. Will let out a cheer, his long hair blowing in the wind as he swung to the ledge of the next rooftop, landing on his feet and turning back to Robin, offering him a wave.
Robin was faster – leaping over the ledge and free falling downwards.
“Holy shit!” Will exclaimed, sighing with momentary relief as Robin landed safely on the roof of a passing flying Corvette, leaping upward onto a flying taxi and then leaping across to another, performing an impressive somersault in mid air. He landed next to Will on the rooftop.
“I’ve never anybody move so fast,” Will said, clearly impressed with the limber older man’s moves.
“Don’t lose him, Will. We need him," Robin said and Will nodded, pulling out a small pair of night vision binoculars and glancing downward.
Through the green tinted vision of the binoculars, Will spied the friar way
down on the street below. He was talking to a homeless man, offering the man a sandwich which he accepted with thanks. Will passed the binoculars to Robin, who saw what Will had seen.
“Are you sure we need this guy, Robin? I heard he was a little... rogueish" Will said and Robin nodded, his face well hidden behind his ski mask under his emerald hood.
“So am I. The friar has made mistakes, but I believe he’s sought a path of redemption. If anyone can help us do this, it’s him. Plus, he’s well connected with the homeless. I don’t just want to be a thief, Will... I want to make the sheriff afraid. I want to cause a stir. Most of all, I want the wicked to fear me, and the good to know I’m out here," Robin replied and Will nodded.
“Let’s go!” Robin said, as he and Will made their way to the streets below.
Friar Tuck walked down an alley in the street, pulling out a flask of port and taking a sip. He let out a loud belch before taking another generous swig from the flask, allowing the strong warm liquid to fill his belly.
He glanced ahead in the alley, which was lit only by a single lamp. The friar looked upward, seeing large moths furiously flapping their wings around the street lamp, no doubt attracted to the light like he was to the drink. He was about to take another drink, when he saw a figure in front of him. He squinted his eyes, trying to focus on the silhouetted man that stepped out of the shadows, but a second man placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.
“Shit! Shit! I... I don’t have any money!” Tuck stammered as the hooded figure in green stepped out of the shadows.
“Friar Tuck! You just got recruited,” Robin said and the good friar closed his eyes.
“Robin Hood. I might have known," Tuck said. Robin reached for the medallion around the Friar’s neck, studying it.
“I saw you with the sheriff. What did he want?” Robin asked and Tuck pushed Robin’s hand away from his precious medallion.
“Money of course! I owe him a great deal of rent by Friday, which I can’t even pay! I’m broke, alright? We barely break even at the bar and rent keeps getting higher and higher! The bastard is raising rent faster than I can find arses to sit in the seats!” Tuck said angrily.
“What would it take to get him off your back?” Robin asked and Tuck laughed.
“A bloody army! The sheriff wants money, Robin. If he doesn’t get paid, he comes after me with those robot cops of his. You don’t just scare off a man like the sheriff! He’s ruthless! Unshakeable!” Tuck stressed, but Robin held a finger against the Friar’s lips.
“You work for me now. If I ask you to do something, don’t question it. Just do it. Agreed?” Robin asked and the friar nodded slowly, suddenly believing him.
“What are you going to do, Robin?” The friar asked and Robin tossed him a gold coin. The friar studied it, glancing back at Robin open mouthed. Gold coins were so rare in these parts, this single coin was more than enough to cover his rent for months.
“I’m going to build an army,” Robin said. The coin shined under the street lamp and it caught the Friar’s eye. He stared at it as if he was under its spell.
“What do you want me to d...” Tuck started, looking back to Robin but both he and his mysterious companion were not in sight. Robin's voice whispered from the darkness of the shadows.
“Spread the word. Robin Hood owns the streets now," the voice said, as if uttered by a ghost on the wind. The friar gulped, taking off running out of the alley. He had been right. The Robin Hood he once knew was gone, perhaps the man never even came back from the war. In any case, Tuck had a feeling that a storm was coming, and his troubles were coming to an end. The only question that remained was, what exactly did Robin mean when he said he was building an army? Time would surely tell.
Chapter four: rise of the emerald hero
Frank Marshall was rich. He stood by his eye catching CB7 Lamborghini jet car, which was green and had miniature jet engines where the four wheels would be if cars drove on this planet. The flying vehicle was gorgeous, an emerald marvel that got him all the attention any wealthy playboy would need to stroke his massive ego.
He was talking to two blonde women wearing leather bras and fishnet stockings, the girls feigning laughter as he told his ridiculous stories. Frank wore a suit fashioned with fine snake skin. His hair was blonde and slicked back and his voice sounded like he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth, his tone posh, know-it-all and eye-rolling.
“Yeah, I just bought like three hotels on the upper West side. Yeaaaah, I’m kind of a big deal. I’ve got a ship too! Yeeeeah it’s army grade. Toughest ship in the galaxy! You ladies might be lucky enough to ride on my joystick, but I’m not a joiner, you know? I just like to hit it and ride. Like a wandering love machine,” he said. The two women giggled, rolling their eyes as they no doubt thought wow, is he like... for real?
“Yeeeah, I’m like totally loaded though, so if you like... want anything, ladies I’m your daddy,” Frank said as the two women cuddled up to him, kissing him. Robin stepped out of the shadows, holding a long bow to the man’s head.
“Ladies, find another hustle,” Robin said and the two women ran off screaming. Frank threw his hands up, sobbing like a little boy.
“Woah! Woah man! Wait a second! I... I thought they were single, man! No need to get all Clockwork,” Frank whispered as Robin stepped closer.
“Frank Tony Marshall, you sell drugs to the homeless, right?” Robin asked and Frank sobbed.
“Look man it was just a few kids! I know it was bad! Please don’t kill me man!” Frank pleaded and Robin shook his head.
“Oh no. I’m not going to kill You Frank. You are going to help me. I want eight million credits. This is your payment. You are going to pay me for your life. You are going to show me why you deserve to live by giving something back to the world whose soul you continue to strangle. If you refuse to pay... I’m going to shoot an arrow into a part of you that I promise you will miss. But you’ll pay, won’t you? Yeah... I think you’ll pay. You wanna know how I know, Frank? Because you are scum. You sell drugs to homeless children. They turn to you out of desperation and you sell them the nails for their coffins. Tonight, you are going to sell me your rotten life. You’ll pay, Frank. You’ll pay because you’re scared. You’ll pay because you know I’m right," Robin said, pulling back on his bow ready to fire a green laser arrow.
Frank led Robin across the street to an ATM and entered his code, pulling out a huge pile of clear plastic notes. He passed the credits to Robin and raised his hands again as Robin placed the notes into a satchel.
“You won’t tell anyone what I did, right?” Frank asked and Robin shook his head.
“But you are going to tell everyone that you were robbed by Robin Hood. Turn around!” Robin demanded and Frank faced the wall.
“Please man! I did what you asked! I gave it to you man! Can I please just go? Please?” Frank pleaded, turning his head to face Robin again, but he was gone. He sighed, lowering his hands and quickly began to walk back to his car. The problem was, his car was gone.
“Oh you’ve gotta be shitting me, man!” he exclaimed, looking around but seeing no one.
*****
High above Frank’s head, Robin piloted the car through the sky full of traffic, shooting past towering skyscrapers and turning in and out of speeding traffic. The car could definately fly! The colour was perfect as well. Yeah. I just might keep it, He thought to himself, speeding through the night sky flying over the streets that twisted and turned miles below. Robin had flown ships through space, nothing bulky just small fighters – but this was a new experience. Luckily he was a good enough pilot that flying a car like this was a walk in the park.
Robin flew towards the centre of the city towards Nottingham castle at the very central point. He couldn’t get too close as the mechanical cop bastards constantly flew patrols, but for a few moments he glared down at the towering central structure of steel and glass. He had to admit, it was truly a sight – The central tower climbing high into the sk
y, the utmost highest point in the sprawling metropolis. Robin veered around, flying out of the city and towards the surrounding forests of The planet.
The emerald car glided over the trees and mountains, setting down in the middle of a dense woodland where a few wooden and metal structures were being erected high in the trees. This would be his new base of operations.
John Little had hired several homeless men to help construct a massive village high in the trees, a base of operations for Robin and his band of rebels. Robin landed the emerald car, stepping out into the tall grass. John Little approached him, shaking his hand.
“Nice ride," John said and Robin nodded, throwing back his hood and pulling off his mask.
“Arm it for me. Arrows, cannons... I want this thing to be weaponised!” Robin said, striding over to a ladder and climbing up into the trees. John climbed up after him, the two of them reaching a platform with a roof made of wooden sheets and iron.
“I suppose you want the plates changed too," John said and Robin splashed his unshaven face with water from a nearby barrel.
“I want it weaponised John. Take all the credits you need and give that thing as much torque and armament as you can. If I’m going to use it, it needs to be as fast and sharp as I am," Robin went on, tossing the satchel of credits at John’s feet.
John looked in the satchel, covering his mouth and laughing.
“Bloody hell! There’s enough credits here to live like kings for lifetimes over!” John said and Robin nodded.
“Or give a handful of poor people the lives they never dreamed possible. This is it, John. This is where we start. Those credits are blood. That’s blood money. Blood we can give back to those who have been bled dry. The days of the streets being run by corrupt bureaucrats are over. The people of Sherwood deserve more. They earned more. They have suffered the ruling of a cowardly king for long enough! I will get them all off the streets and I will give their planet back to them! Then, I will throw them their king and they can deal with him how they see fit,” Robin said. John threw his arms around Robin, tears in his eyes. Robin laughed.
