by DAN MONTY
Robin punched him again, and again... harder and harder, his green metal gloves breaking through the bloody metallic bones easily. The sheriff backed off in surprise as Robin punched him hard in the jaw, sending the massive beast of a man flying backwards.
The beeping began to slow and Robin leapt for the window, the sheriff scrambling to go after him as the arrow in his chest exploded.
Robin fell towards the city below, the streets rushing up to meet him as the entire castle exploded, glass shattering and metal flying outward around Robin as he plummeted towards the streets below. The noise of the explosion was deafening and Robin closed his eyes, falling downward in a silent plummet.
He hit something hard with a thud, but it wasn’t the ground, it was the hull of The Alanna. Robin opened his eyes, looking back at the fiery chaos of the tumbling castle walls as John pulled him into the ship through the open hatch in the hull. The ship sped away from the castle as what was left of it crumbled to the streets below. Robin closed his eyes again, nursing what was probably a broken arm. It was done. The sheriff was dead and the castle of Nottingham was no more.
*****
Robin limped into the ship, laying on one of the red lounges. Marion had tears in her eyes as she rushed to his side, taking his head in her arms. Robin was pale, a line of blood running out of his mouth and pain in his chest.
He looked down and though his vision was blurred he was able to make out a sliver of shrapnel sticking out of his chest.
“Don’t look at it, Robin! You’re not going to die! TELL him, John! He’s going to be fine!” Marion insisted, wiping away tears.
“Marion... I can’t stop the bleeding... The shrapnel has pierced his heart," John said and Marion burst into tears.
“Marion! Look at me!” Robin said and Marion leaned in close to his mouth so she could hear him speak in a low voice that was running out of energy.
“Marion... My job is done. The city is free. I did what I set out to do,” Robin said and Marion cried, talking through tears.
“What? No! What about me? You were supposed to be with me! How can I go on alone?” Marion sobbed and Robin smiled at her, placing a hand gently over her belly.
“Marion listen to me, you’ll never be alone. Not any more," he uttered and Marion was shocked, following his gaze and touching his hand on her belly, then realizing what he meant.
“You will bare a child Marion. I promise you," Robin said and Marion burst into tears, covering her mouth as Robin closed his eyes, going to sleep one last time.
*****
In the cockpit, John joined Will and Tuck, the three men staring out into the clouds as tears rolled down their faces. Tuck raised his canteen, wiping tears from his eyes.
“To Robin Hood!” he said, taking a swig from the canteen before passing it on, each of them taking a sip of the drink. Will wiped his eyes, taking the ship downward flying through the city and then on to the tall trees of Sherwood Forest. A hero had fallen and they would all need a long rest.
*****
Nine months later, true to Robin’s word, Marion gave birth to a baby girl in the Sherwood Trinity Hospital. Marion cried as the midwife passed the child to Marion and Will, John and Tuck looked on. Tuck looked as though he might cry as he caressed the forehead of the newborn, blessing the child.
“She’s beautiful, Marion! Just beautiful!” Tuck said and Will nodded in agreement.
“Have you decided on a name for her yet? What about Anna? Or Alanna?” John asked as they all laughed, including Marion.
“They are both beautiful names, John. But I already have a name. I decided to name her Robin,” Marion said and Tuck smiled. Will shrugged.
“Robin Hood? That’s not very original," he said with a look of confusion, Tuck smacking the back of his head.
“It’s a tribute you idiot!” Tuck said and Will laughed.
“I was kidding!” Will replied, rubbing the back of his head.
Little Robin opened her eyes, they burned a brilliant green. Tuck looked into her tiny eyes and frowned.
“You know, this one is going to be trouble," he said with a wink.
The city was undergoing a massive change and had been for the last few months. The treasures that Nigel had collected from the castle had indeed gone to the homeless, but he had gone one better. Nigel had seen to the construction of the Robin Hood Housing project, which saw the construction of a massive new development of buildings that would house thousands of homeless people.
A white marble statue of Robin had been erected out the front of the two buildings, a hood over his head as he held out his bow with an arrow set into it pointing in the direction of the castle ruins in the middle of the city.
Friar Tuck continued to work at his Friar’s bar, which thanks to the help of his legendary tales had become one of the most popular places to drink in the entire city.
John Little went on to write books, writing of the legendary exploits of Robin of Loxley. He also would help Marion raise the child when time allowed.
Will Scarlet became captain of The Alanna, leaving Sherwood to explore the galaxy with a band of alien outlaws. They would continue Robin’s work on other planets of the galaxy and make sure no one ever forgot the name Robin Hood.
And then there was Marion, who not only had a child to raise but a city to run. Marion was elected to become the Governess of the city of Sherwood. She vowed to restore peace to the sprawling city and invoke a new system of government that would not only protect the wealthy but would take special care of those who had no homes or food. She turned the red light district into a support area for the homeless and chose it to serve as the location for the Robin Hood Housing project buildings; great skyscrapers that were constructed just to house those who had fallen on desperate times.
Marion knew there would still be difficult times ahead, but from the balcony of her Sherwood Forest cabin, she looked out from her rocking chair, nursing baby Robin in her arms as she rocked away, running her fingers through her daughter’s hair and gazing into her beautiful emerald eyes. One life ends, and another begins.
Epilogue: eighteen years later..
Deep in the city, a young woman ran for her life, screaming out for help as she struggled to keep a hold of her groceries. The two men chased her down the dark alley as she stumbled onto her face, splitting her lip and spilling groceries everywhere.
One of the men pulled out a knife, holding it to her throat.
“You’re yummy lassie ! Why don’t ya do a dance for daddy?” he asked with the voice of a snake as the other guy laughed like a wild hyena.
“Let her go!” A woman’s voice screamed out from somewhere in the darkness and the two men looked up suddenly. They exchanged glances looking left to right, fear taking over them.
“I SAID LET HER GO!” The woman’s voice repeated as the woman they had jumped grabbed what groceries she could before running out of the alley.
Out of the shadows, in a shiny green leather suit with a hood stepped a woman, a long bow in her hands armed with two green laser arrows, and it was trained on the attackers.
The men raised their knives preparing to run for the emerald clad woman, but she fired the laser arrows which disarmed them both. The two men screamed, each clutching the hands that were blasted by the arrows, creating nasty wounds.
“You shot us! Who the hell are you, lady???” one of the men screamed and the woman stepped into the light to reveal a pale face with dark hair beneath the hood, green eyes and green lipstick on her mouth which creased into a smile.
“I’m Robin Hood," she said.
COMING SOON, THE DEPTHS TRILOGY CONCLUDES!
COMING LATER IN 2021 TO AMAZON!
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