Author's Note: This is my first Rent fic. I am a huge fan of the show and the story. My favorite character is Mark and that is why this is Mark central.

I don't own any of Rent. Please read and review and enjoy.

Chapter One:

Mark wandered the aisles of the Food Emporium. In his hand he held a basket filled with groceries. Although trips like these were rare for the broke, the loft was completely out of anything edible. His only current source of money was Collins' ATM code at the emporium. And although Mark didn't really like the idea of simply taking the money, desperate times called for desperate measures.

In the cereal aisle, he helped himself to three boxes of the first kind he saw. Cereal could last a long time and still tasted good dry. Perfect for anyone with a small budget. He headed down to the next aisle to find milk. Not really watching where he was going, Mark bumped into a man with a hood pulled over his head.

"Watch it!" the guy snapped.

"Sorry…" Mark replied taken aback at the man's outburst.

The guy looked Mark up and down quickly. He seemed very nervous about something. Mark frowned slightly before turning away. This kid was a punk.

After a successful trip to the dairy section, Mark stood in line checking his wallet to make sure he had withdrawn enough. There was a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a girl behind him, holding a pack of soda and a bag of pretzels.

"You're next." She said, pointing to the counter. Mark followed her finger to where the cashier was waiting.

"Oh right. Sorry."

As he was unloading his basket for the women behind the counter, a loud yell came from behind Mark.

"STOP!" And then there were screams.

Mark froze and slowly turned around to see the kid from before. The one he had bumped into. And Mark was now staring into the barrel end of his gun.

"I want everyone on the floor n-now!" The guy yelled, waving his pistol in the air.

Mark dropped, pressing himself against the rows of gum and candy. The girl from behind him crawled over to him. Her dropped soda spilled all over the floor. In her terror, she clung to Mark's arm. Tears were silently streaming down her face.

Mark, however, was calmer. He had been living in New York City long enough to know that robberies happened all the time. Still, he could feel a lump in his throat and killer moths in his stomach.

"Okay, it's going to work like this!" yelled their attacker, "If everyone cooperates, everyone lives. But if you don't do exactly what I say….I'll…have to start shooting."

This girl next to Mark let out a choked sob and clung tighter to his arm. On instinct, Mark hugged her to him, trying in vain to protect her. But he knew he would not be able to stop a bullet if the time came.

"I want all the money out of the drawer. And wallets, I need wallets too."

The voice pulled Mark out of his thoughts. No one moved. He didn't hear the sound of the register so he knew the cashier hadn't yet opened the drawer.

"Move! I want the money now or I'll start shooting! I mean it."

Something in his voice made Mark look up. That wasn't menace. That was fear. This guy was afraid. Then he saw it, the telltale lesions on the kid's face.

AIDS… Mark thought to himself. That's why he needs the money. He doesn't want to do this.

"You don't want to do this." He said out loud.

The kid looked at Mark kneeling on the ground hugging a shaking girl.

"Yes I do. Shut up! Don't talk. If you say another word, I swear to god…"

"You don't want to hurt us. I see your face."

Mark silently cursed himself. He knew he should just stay silent and cooperate. If he was wrong about this kid, then he had just damned everyone to death. Maybe there was a way he could get everyone out of this.

I picked a bad day to play hero.

Slowly Mark picked himself off of the floor. The girl next to him grabbed for him as he stood, before clutching her knees, terrified.

The guy started to shake but he kept his gun pointed at Mark's chest.

"Stop..." He whispered.

"No. You have to stop. Let everyone go. I can get you money. I can get you enough to pay for medicine. It's what you need right?"

The guy nodded.

"Look, come with me. You can even keep the gun on me but follow me. I'll get you your money."

The guy said nothing but his hand steadied a little as he followed Mark over to the ATM machine.

Thank you Collins! Mark thought to himself as he punched in the code, making sure the guy saw every move he made.

A-N-G-E-L

After withdrawing a couple hundred in cash, Mark handed it over to the kid, who breathed a choked sigh of relief before sprinting out of the store and into the streets.

Mark's legs suddenly gave way and he fell to his knees. Meanwhile, everyone else got up from the cold floor.

An older man in a suit pulled out a cell phone and called 911. The cashier came around from the counter and pulled Mark to his feet.

"Thank you!" She said emphatically. "It's my first day. I know I was supposed to just do what he said but I was so scared and I couldn't move. Oh God! I thought I was dead! I have a son at home! You saved us all. Thank you so much!"

Mark was still shaken and could only manage a jumbled reply.

"No, he, I, scared, didn't mean, AIDS…"

Another customer, a scruffy man in his late thirties, clapped a hand on Mark's shoulder.

"Take it easy, boy. You can relax now. She's right though. You're a hero."

Mark nodded and drew in deep breaths. All he really wanted to do was go back to the loft and sleep for a few hours. But then he saw the girl still sitting on the floor, her face completely white with shock. He went over to her and knelt down.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded and then shook her head, bursting into tears. She covered her face with her hands.

Mark sat next to her until she calmed down. The cashier came over and handed her a few tissues.

"Thanks." The girl mumbled and wiped her eyes which had now become slightly puffy. She looked at Mark who looked back concerned.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "I guess I had a complete meltdown. You can tell I'm really new to the city. Thank you. You saved my life. Our lives."

Mark turned red from embarrassment. He wished everyone would stop saying that. He didn't feel like a hero at all. He stood up and offered a hand to the girl, still frozen on the floor.

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

She nodded and took his hand. He pulled her to her feet and led her out of the Food Emporium. He was still holding her hand. She took over the lead as they stepped into the busy streets of New York. As they headed toward her apartment, Mark thought of the kid who had just held them up. A kid who was so scared and so desperate that he was willing to do anything to survive.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Author's note: The next chapter will be happier. Mark learns the girl's name! Tell me what you think.