Chapter 6

Hero

Ganondorf sat stoically behind the principal's desk, fingers steepled absently before his face as he contemplated the man kneeling on the floor before him. Their assault had begun no more than twenty minutes ago, but things were already starting to go wrong. Two of the charges, so carefully placed, had failed to go off and a large number of students had been able to escape, drastically limiting the amount of influence he held. Less hostages meant less national attention and in short, less power. He would need to act carefully over the course of the afternoon if he was to accomplish his goals. What's more, he hadn't yet been able to locate Hero and he was essential to his plans.

Hero, Ganondorf mused, a smug smirk forming on his face, what a fitting name.

Ganondorf had made it a point to claim the principal's office as his own lair, not only because it was the highest point in the school, but because it held a certain air of authority and, most importantly, the windows had blinds which he closed so as to limit the possibility of getting sniped by a cocky police officer. No doubt they'd try that eventually once they'd grasped the entirety of the situation. In spite of the setbacks, he still had approximately two-hundred students trapped in various classes on the second floor. That many students ought to be enough to satisfy his needs, assuming he kept the rest of the sheep under control; now if he could only find Hero…

The sound of static crackling drew his attention back to the man on the floor.

Viscen's hand had jerked automatically towards his belt at the noise, having momentarily forgotten that his wrists were bound behind his back. The Resource Officer had maintained a look of self-righteous dignity since the moment of his capture, much to his credit, and hadn't made a sound since Ganondorf had made an example of Principal Sahasrahla. His body had been dumped unceremoniously with the secretary and the vice principle, both of whom were still under close watch just down the hall just in case he needed any extra bargaining chips.

Nodding briefly at Vaati, Ganondorf waited till the small plastic radio was in his hand before addressing Officer Viscen.

"Well now… What have we here, Officer? Your little toy seems to be on the wrong frequency."

With a swift wrenching movement of his wrist, Ganondorf twisted the little dial clockwise until the static cleared and a voice blared out loud and clear.

"Viscen?! Viscen, come in! We need a status report, man! What the blazes is going on in there?!"

Ganondorf felt a twisted, demonic smile growing slowly on his face. Raising the walkie-talkie up to his mouth, he pressed the small black button on the side and said, calmly, "My apologies. Officer Viscen is currently… indisposed."

"What the-? Who the heck-"

There was a pause, in which a muffled commotion could be heard on the other line. Ganondorf's grin grew wider.

With a crackle of static, a new voice began emitting from the walkie-talkie.

"Hello there. This is Rusl Smith, the chief of police speaking. But there's no need for formalities, you can just call me Rusl. What's your name?"

Ganondorf scoffed at the walkie-talkie. He knew what this man, Rusl, was up to. It was a grade school tactic; first, make the assailant feel at ease. Give him your name, ask for his. Establish a routine of give and take. Next he would begin making 'deals' to release hostages. His twisted smirk from earlier returned. There would be no deal making… but Rusl Smith could still be used to further his plan.

"My name? They call me Ganondorf."

"Ganondorf, eh? Have you got a last name to go along with that? It's only fair; I gave you mine, after all."

Ganondorf felt his smile turn malicious. The man's tone was careful, friendly and at ease… It was high time they changed that.

"You did. Smith, was it? Yes… I believe I just met your son, Smith."

There was a pause, in which nothing but the crackle of the static could be heard. Then…

"…You must have been mistaken."

Ganondorf laughed cruelly, making sure the button was pressed on the walkie-talkie so that Rusl heard him. "I can understand wanting to deny that he's your child. A rather cowardly runt, isn't he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a child, Ganondorf."

Rusl's tone was still carefully light and care-free, but there was a definite shakiness to it. Good… now that he had his attention, it was time to grab the nation's as well.

"Say what you will, Smith. It's of no matter. I have another acquaintance of yours with me… Say hello, Officer Viscen."

Viscen stared back at Ganondorf defiantly, his eyes full of contempt but still without making a sound.

"Speak. Or do I need to make an example of the secretary next?" Ganondorf asked softly.

Viscen hesitated, for the first time losing his look of imperious disdain, then caved. Clearing his throat shakily he leaned forward and rasped into the Walkie-Talkie, "…This is Officer Viscen."

"Very good, Viscen. Now say good bye."

He didn't give him time to respond. The distinct yell that emanated from the walkie-talkie was cut short by the miniature explosion that came from Ganondorf's gun. Viscen, his eyes frozen wide in shock, looked down at the red stain forming on his otherwise spotless uniform before sagging forward on the floor. He coughed once, and was still.

"Heed me," said Ganondorf darkly, drawing the little metal box closer to his mouth, "for too long has this country sat idle, ignorant of its once great past and the power it once possessed. For too long have we forgotten the traditions of our fathers and the ways of old. No longer will I stand by and allow this degradation to continue. Like the powerful before me, I will remake this country, and restore its original grandeur. My name is Ganondorf, and very soon the world will know my name."

In one swift motion he raised the walkie-talkie into the air and brought it down forcefully on the corner of the desk, breaking the object in half. He tossed the now silent hunk of broken plastic across the room, sitting back into Sahasrahla's chair as Vaati motioned some of their accomplices to remove Viscen's body. He laid his gun back down on the desk and steepled his fingers once more.

The stage was set. All that was left now was to find his players. The boy could run, but he could not hide… He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Hero was still somewhere in the building, that he was not one of the ones who had managed to escape. Destiny would make it so, of this he was sure.

Destiny always brought them together.

This time, he was on the high ground.

Panting heavily, Link willed himself to move faster as he hurriedly scooted along the cramped narrow air passage. He wasn't sure how long he had; only a few moments earlier, he'd heard a distant crash echoing from the far end of the air vent, in the direction Shad and Ashei had gone. Assuming they'd made it to the end and were even now getting to the police, Link had put them from his mind with a quick prayer for their safety and was hurrying as fast as he could to find a way out. Someone must have heard the crash which meant someone was going to come investigate the vents. He was basically a sitting duck as long as he was in the ventilation system; he needed to find an empty classroom to escape in, fast, and then hurry up and get to Aryll.

At the thought of his sister, a bitter pang erupted in his chest that he beat back with vicious candor. There was no time to worry about what might have happened; he needed to focus on getting out of the vent without being caught. He could do nothing until that was done.

After a few more uncomfortable moments, he arrived at the next grate. Peering through the slits in the vent, he stifled another groan.

Full.

Again.

Goddesses, just how many of these shooters were there?! This must have been the third or fourth room he passed that was full of students. The situation was apparently worse than he had feared. Just as he was about to press on, something caught his eye in the classroom below. Leaning in closer, Link tried his best to angle himself to get a better view of the situation through the rusted, dusty vent. There was some sort of commotion going on; a vast majority of the fifteen or so students had suddenly decided to relocate to the far side of the classroom, leaving three figures alone on the side just below Link's vent, and it looked like they were struggling over something...

He could hear frantic, terrified sobbing over the rush of the air conditioner. Leaning in further, basically plastering his face up against the grate, Link strained to hear what was going on.

"…orry! I-I'm so s-sorry! P-P-Please!"

The owner of the voice, a girl, moved herself behind another figure, this one broad-shouldered and imposing, as the two of them backed slowly toward the window, away from the third figure, who was unsteadily advancing on them. He was a scrawny, pathetic looking kid, not really intimidating in the slightest, but in his trembling hand he held a sweaty silver pistol. The gun wobbling dangerously in his slackened grip.

"Look, man," said larger male pleaded, and suddenly Link recognized him; it was Darunia, the school's quarterback. "Look, just… just calm down! Hey we've all been there, right? She's not the first girl to turn a guy down before. We all know what it's like-"

"Shut up!" the boy with the spat, desperation and grief evident in his strangled voice. "What would you know?! When have you ever been turned down by a girl, Darunia?! You, the great football star… All of you, you all think you're so perfect! So much better than the rest of us because you're more attractive, or more athletic, or you have rich parents! You're sick!"

The girl, who Link only now realized was Ruto, the cheerleading captain, let out a frightened squeak and wrapped her arms desperately around Darunia's midsection, hiding her face and sobbing unreservedly into her boyfriend's bacak.

"Y-you're right!" Darunia stammered, throwing his arms wide in a protective stance as though he were stopping a charge at a football game and not a bullet. "You're right, man. I'm sorry. I'm messed up. But… Nayru, please... If you've got to shoot someone, shoot me, ok? Just let her go."

Ruto's arms clawed up Darunia's chest spastically at his plea, holding him tightly as though determined to never let him go as she choked out "N-No! Darunia, y-you can't-!"

"Enough!" the boy roared, his voice raw and practically bleeding with unchecked emotion, and the rest of the class leapt back in fear. He stepped forward, directly beneath Link's grate, the gently blow of the air conditioner playing with his lanky blonde hair as he swayed drunkenly, staring down his gun at Darunia and Ruto, whimpering like a child lost in the cold. Tears were raining down his face, and his cheeks were blotchy and red. He hiccoughed.

"All I wanted…" he choked softly, eyes unfocused, "All I wanted… was someone… to talk to… me… I-I thought if I tried to act like I was brave and cool like the football team, step out of my shell, I'd get noticed… But she laughed in my face and walked away. She never… she never… even looked at me…"

He shuddered like a leaf in a windstorm for a moment, and then all at once went still. A look of childlike hurt and misunderstanding bloomed across his face for a moment, and it looked as though he was really seeing Darunia and Ruto for the first time.

He cocked the pistol.

"…Do you see me now?"

Link moved without thinking. Placing his hands on either side of the vent, he hoisted his feet up beneath him and, mustering all of his strength, kicked downward with both legs.

There was a tortured screech as the metal tore free from its hinges, sending Link and the grate careening down from the ceiling. The grate struck the boy first, right as he pulled the trigger, knocking the bullet off course and sending it through the window with an ear-splitting shatter. A split second later, Link crashed on top of the vent, their weight together knocking the assailant to the floor.

Link struck the ground on his back and was momentarily winded. Body aching, he struggled in vain for a moment to regain his orientation and clamber back to his feet, but before he could fully make it he realized that there was no need to hurry; the shooter had been knocked unconscious by the force of the blow, his gun lying several feet away on the filthy classroom floor.

Still gasping for breath, Link slumped sideways against the teacher's desk, squeezing his eyes shut nursing his left shoulder, willing his heart to stop pounding. The only thought running through his head at that moment was 'stupid, stupid stupid!' What in the world was he doing?! He could've been killed! Din, he could have died! And if he'd snuffed it right then, who would've saved Aryll?! Goddesses, Link, think before you do crazy things like that!

Opening his eyes, he realized that the entire class had been staring at him, speechless.

"H-Hero?!" Darunia spluttered, shock and disbelief evident on his normally smug, superior face. It was actually kind of comical.

"Aw shucks, Darunia. You don't have to go and call me that." Link quipped before he could catch himself. Din, he must be more shaken up from that fall than he though; you don't joke around with Darunia, that's how you get yourself hazed in the lockers after gym.

The quarterback gave him a bizarre look as though not quite understanding what he'd said, before deciding to ignore it and instead ask, "Where… where did you come from?"

"Air vent." Link replied tersely, finally managing to stagger to his feet, stretching his body in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension he'd received from crawling around the cramped air shaft. Good Farore, his neck and shoulders were sore, and his hip was killing him from having landed on it wrong. He needed a chiropractor or something…

There was a pause in which Darunia simply stared at Link like he was a figure from another dimension, and then suddenly all of the awkward tension in the room seemed to mysteriously vanish. The students in the corner began moving again, albeit shakily, and Ruto peeked her head around Darunia's shoulder.

"Like… Oh my Din…" She gasped dramatically, tears still streaming down her face as she darted around the quarterback and seized Link's hands in her own, "You just, like, totally saved our lives! You really are a hero!"

Startled, Link hastily tore his hand away from Ruto's grasp and blurted out a quick, "What? No! No, no, no!" He was trying hard not to let any disgust show on his face. It's not that he hated Ruto per say… it was just that she was the single most disgusting human being on the planet and he would rather be locked in a box with a half-dozen starving, crazed weasels than have an actual conversation with her. He wasn't even entirely certain that she could hold an entire conversation; the space between her ears was almost guaranteed to be ninety-nine percent hair spray.

"Darunia wasn't saying I was a hero; that's just my name. Link Hero, remember? …We were in 4th grade together?" he added when her expression didn't change. Was she not getting this? She wasn't getting this, was she?

"She's right, Hero." Darunia said, stepping up beside him. "You just saved our lives. That makes you a hero for real. Kinda ironic, isn't it?" He chuckled good-naturedly, giving Link the first smile he'd seen from him since Junior High.

No, Link wanted to say, that doesn't make me anything. I was just doing what any normal person would have done in my situation, but before he could open his mouth, the shooter stirred with a soft groan.

It was as though someone had flipped a switch and turned the tension back on. Everyone suddenly seemed to remember where they were and what was going on just outside the classroom. Memories of Aryll trapped in Miss Marie's geometry class brought Link back to reality with an unpleasant bump.

Steeling himself for what he had to do, he immediately began issuing orders to the milling mass of panicky students without thinking.

"Guys! We need to tie this guy up and hide him in the closet or something. Use belts or backpack straps or whatever you've got on you, and do it quick. Also, make sure you gag him so he can't call out for help."

The class obeyed him instantly, not questioning the authority of their savior for a second, converging forward on the still unconscious assailant with surprising gusto, tying him up perhaps a bit rougher than was strictly necessary.

"Darunia," Link said, noticing the gun that had fallen forgotten to the floor and picking it up, "it's dangerous out there, take this. "

Darunia eyed it apprehensively, but nodded.

"I'm not sure exactly where, but there's gotta be an exit somewhere. Take the gun and get these kids out of-"

"Wait, what? What about you?" Ruto cut in. Her crying had stopped, but she was still puffy eyed and clinging to Darunia's arm for support. Her mascara had smudged spectacularly, giving her the appearance of a particularly disheveled raccoon.

Link took a deep breath, steeling himself for any more arguments. "I can't leave yet. I have to find my little sister."

Ruto shot him a look of perfectly executed incredulity, but Darunia seemed to understand without further discussion. Clapping Link on the shoulder, he said, "Alright. Good luck, Hero. But are you sure you don't want the gun?"

"No," He replied quickly, although deep down a part of him wanted to say yes… Though if he was being honest, he didn't even know how to use the thing. Also, it… kinda scared him. "You need it more than me. You've got other students to protect."

Darunia nodded grimly.

"Alright!" He suddenly barked, turning his attention to the room at large once again and switching into quarterback mode. The students leaped to attention. "You heard the man. Check that the coast is clear, then let's move out. We head straight to the nearest staircase, then let's see if we can't get out through the backdoor of the kitchen. I doubt they thought to block that."

The door swung open and, after a brief pause to check the halls, the students began hurrying out of the classroom. Darunia, Ruto, and Link were the last to leave. Ruto headed off immediately after the students, but Darunia paused momentarily and turned to Link.

"Hey, Hero!"

Link, who'd been about to turn and head in the opposite direction, paused and met Darunia's gaze head on.

"…Don't get yourself killed, alright?" With a surprisingly encouraging smirk, Darunia turned and jogged off after his girlfriend. Link forced a begrudging smile and headed in the opposite direction. Well that was… out of character. Then again, he did just save their lives, so maybe he'd start being nicer to him now. Wouldn't that be a miracle? His thoughts drifted back to the shooter he'd knocked out, and he frowned. The boy clearly had some psychological issues, but… Link wondered if Darunia and Ruto realized just how much their actions and the actions of their friends had played on today's events. Link wasn't saying it was entirely their fault, but… At least in that one instance, a little bit of kindness on their part might have changed that boy's life for the better. How true was that sentiment for every shooter in the building, he wondered?

Shoving any empathy from his mind, Link forced himself onwards. He didn't have time to care about his attackers. There would be a time for introspection and philosophy later- for now, his little sister needed him, and he didn't care how many tragic stories he had to fight through to get to her. He would keep her safe. He'd lost enough family members as it was already… He wasn't losing her too.

Aryll did her best to put on a brave face. Most of the girls in the classroom had long since dissolved into teary puddles of hopeless despondence, including Malon. She, Malon, and Saria, who was silently hugging her knees to her chest on Malon's other side, sat in the back of the room partially hidden behind a rather flimsy table. Not that the protection would have mattered; the shooter, having decided that going on a homicidal rampage was too dull to attract his interest, had long since seated himself in Ms. Marie's office chair, propped his feet up on her desk, and had begun flipping through the few channels that the classroom's standard issue T.V. could support. Many of the students had seized this opportunity and broke out into fearful, whispered conversations.

Aryll reached over, clasping both Saria and Malon's hands.

"Hey, it's alright. We're gonna get through this. Come on…" She tried her best to make her whisper sound encouraging. The only response she got was a feeble sniff from Malon; even Saria continued to stare at the wall blankly and ignore her.

Sighing heavily, Aryll let her gaze wander the classroom. Since the attacker had commandeered the T.V. and taken their cell phones, Aryll had no way of knowing what time it was. For all she knew, they'd been in there for hours… though it had probably only been forty minutes or so. Din, but it felt like hours…

She wished he'd turn the station to the news. Aryll couldn't help but wonder how much the outside world knew about their predicament, what actions the police were taking to rescue them. Colin's father was probably beside himself with worry. I wonder if grandma knows… That thought was enough to send Aryll spiraling even deeper into depression. She and Link were all that their grandma had left in this world; Grandpa had died just before Grandma had decided to move back to Hyrule from the Waker Islands, and they had both taken Aryll and Link in when their parents had died. She was such a sweet, fragile old woman… with a temperament like an active volcano, but still. If anything happened to Aryll or Link, she knew her grandma might not be able to bare it.

Link… Aryll felt tears begin to sting her eyes, and she sniffled in spite of herself. Link, you'd better be safe, you stupid idiot… for grandma's sake…

"Hey now, you can't start crying too."

Aryll jumped. Turning to the right, she was surprised to find that the voice belonged to a kind looking red headed girl who she didn't recognize, though she looked to be a senior. She was sitting sort of cattycorner to Aryll and her friends, smiling at her sweetly in a motherly, big-sister sort of way, her hand gently grasping another that belonged to a blue haired girl sitting on her left who was facing the wall, her face hidden behind her long, elegantly tangled locks.

"I… I'm sorry?" Aryll asked, trying desperately to regain control of herself. Din, she was trying to be strong for Malon and Saria, she needed to regain control of herself!

"You need to stay positive. It's just like you said; we're going to be alright. Here, would you like to hold my hand?"

Aryll was floored. There they were, in the middle of a life or death crisis, and here this girl was concerned about the well being of a complete stranger.

"N-No, thank you." Aryll stammered, her face turning pink. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Anju Pots." the girl said sweetly, a warm smile radiating across her face. "And you are?"

"Aryll Hero. Thank you… for caring, I mean." Aryll flushed even harder, embarrassed, but Anju just beamed. The blue haired girl shifted uncomfortably.

"Excuse me," Anju said suddenly, leaning forward to address the girl on Aryll's right, the one sitting directly in front of them. The girl looked up, apparently just as startled as Aryll had been that a stranger was speaking to her.

"Um… Yes?" she replied, and Aryll suddenly remembered that she was the girl that had been brought in just before the gunner had taken Colin and the other boys away.

"Do you need a band aid? You're bleeding," Anju said, motioning toward the girl's knee which sported a nasty looking cut through a hole in her jeans that she no doubt received from being sent sliding across the floor.

The girl looked down and seemed to notice the blood for the first time. Before she could answer yes or no, Anju had already begun rooting around through her purse.

The blue haired figure chuckled unexpectedly. "Forgive her. Anju tends to butt her way into other people's business like a nosey mother hen, but she means well. She's a little too sweet for her own good."

Aryll's mouth dropped open in shock as the purple haired figure finally turned toward the little group.

It was a guy.

Aryll and the pretty blonde gaped, astonished, but Anju merely replied flippantly, "You make it sound like caring about others is a bad thing, Kafei."

"Never," he replied sweetly, his surprisingly suave voice muted to a whisper, "I was merely trying brag about how perfect you are." He reached over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Anju's ear. She slapped his hand away distractedly but flushed all the same.

"Oh, stop it, you know that doesn't work on me."

"W-wait! You're a guy?" Aryll blabbed, flustered, "How did they not take you along with everyone else?!"

Kafei flashed her a charming smile, his eyes twinkling merrily as he flicked his luxurious locks behind his ear, "Sometimes, it pays to have fabulous hair."

Anju sniggered. Aryll would have laughed too if she wasn't trying to stop herself from swooning. Stop it, she chided herself. You have an amazing boyfriend. And besides, he looks taken.

…But by Nayru, that hair is fabulous.

"Ah ha!" Anju whispered triumphantly, drawing from the depths of her purse a colorful Power Ranger's band-aid.

"I'm sorry," Kafei said while Anju leaned over to place the band-aid on the blonde's knee, "I don't know either of your names. I'm Kafei Dotour; the Mayor's son."

Aryll smiled back at him, trying not to look too eager to answer. "I'm Aryll Hero."

"I'm- ow!" the blonde stopped as Anju leaned firmly placed the band-aid on her knee.

"Sorry!" Anju whispered meekly, leaning back.

"No, you're fine. Thanks." The blonde said, looking up and smiling at her reassuringly. "I'm Zelda Nohanson. I just moved here. This is actually like my second day."

"Oh, you poor dear!" Anju said.

Zelda smiled sheepishly and said, "Well… things couldn't have gotten much worse, I guess. First I screw up my classes, I forget my locker combination, I knocked out this cute guy with a door yesterday and then my car gets totaled this morning, and now…"

She sighed heavily. There was no need to continue. A weight seemed to settle on the group.

"So… A cute guy?" Anju asked, obviously trying to change the subject to something lighter, "Anyone I know? Did you get his name?"

Zelda blushed, obviously not wanting this to be the topic of their conversation but also not wanting the talking to end lest they go back to dwelling on their unfortunate circumstances. "Ah… well, I dunno… I mean, his name's Link and he seems really nice, but I don't actually know him. Anyway, he probably thinks I'm a total freak…"

Aryll felt like she'd been smacked in the face with a pillow. "You think my brother's cute? Wait, you knocked him out with a door?!"

Zelda looked absolutely mortified. "Y-Your brother? He's… No way, i-it has to be another Link-!"

"There aren't any other Links in the school." Aryll supplied blandly, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

"Yeah, sorry." Anju chimed in, a consoling smiling on her face. "Even I knew who you were talking about the moment you said his name."

"If anyone's a total freak, it's Link, not you." Kafei added, a conspiratorial grin on his face. So the hot upper classman knew her older brother too? No, bad thoughts, she had a boyfriend…

At the knowledge that the boy she'd just admitted to thinking was cute was someone everyone knew, Zelda's face grew from mortification to complete abject horror. "Oh Nayru, I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to hit him, he just- He was just there, and I was in a hurry, and-!"

But Aryll's sudden laughter cut her off. "No really, it's fine. He probably deserved it. I just wish I'd been there to see it!"

"Keep it down, or I'll silence you permanently." The shooter's voice rang out, still holding no more emotion than it had when he had been collecting phones.

The girls and Kafei exchanged ominous looks.

"Maybe we should be quiet for a while…" Anju suggested tactfully.

The others nodded frantically, Zelda looking a little relieved that their conversation was forcibly ended. For Aryll's part, however, she wished that it was still going on. Not that she cared whether this girl thought her brother was cute; honestly, Link's love life was an enigma to her. It was just nice to have something stupid like teenage romance to distract her from the tidal wave of fear that was threatening to sweep her away. She wished that today was a day like every other; a day where the biggest news would have been that the pretty new girl had a crush on her hopeless brother.

Now, all she wanted for her and her brother to not end up on the news. Please keep him safe… Nayru, Farore, Din, anybody… Don't leave her all alone…

Rusl slid his battered old cell phone shut and rubbed his hands over his face wearily. He'd just gotten back to the high school and it seemed as though nothing had changed since he'd left… which is what he'd just been trying to tell his wife. Strictly speaking he wasn't supposed to be taking personal calls right now, but, well… Uli was terrified for their son, and who could blame her? He was terrified too… but he couldn't let it show. He had a job to do. A team to lead. A school to save.

Getting out of his car, Rusl swiftly adopted his trademark no-nonsense look and briskly strode over to their makeshift command center, situated in the back of a van. Glancing up, Officer Rosso hailed him from behind an ambulance.

"Chief… how did it go?" He asked softly.

Rusl looked down despite his resolve to look calm and in control. "…as well as could be expected."

Rosso nodded morosely. He understood; one of the hardest things to do was to inform the wife of a friend that she was now a widow.

Rusl swallowed, then said curtly, "When this is over, I may send you over there to check on her."

Rosso grunted in agreement. Clearing his throat gruffly, Rusl clapped his hands, signaling that it was time to get back to business.

"Alright, now… There's still been no word from that Ganondorf kid?"

"No sir," said Rosso as they both turned and began striding along the circumference of the caution tape barrier that surrounded the school. "The latest count shows there are anywhere from one-hundred-and-fifty to two-hundred hostages still inside the building."

"Alright. Do we have snipers in position?"

"Yes, sir. But we have no way of knowing where Ganondorf is located, nor exactly how many shooters there are. The numbers we've been getting from the kids who made it out seem unreal."

Rusl nodded slowly, trying desperately not to think about his own son who was still trapped inside.

"Have there been any deaths reported?"

"Of students, no… though a few say that they saw some teachers get shot, though how many were fatally wounded is difficult to say."

"Alright. Has there been any luck hacking the security system so we can see what's going on in there?"

Rosso sighed wearily. "No sir. We've been trying, but it seems that someone has blocked the access channel. The cameras are still on, but they're being controlled from within the school."

"In that case, we'll need to consider cutting the power to the building," Rusl began, but stopped suddenly as a voice suddenly emitted from his walkie-talkie.

"Chief! We have movement! Back of the school, by the cafeteria! There are students escaping!"

Rusl and Rosso exchanged surprised looks before breaking into a dead run.

The back of the school was a flurry of activity when they arrived. It looked as though someone had kicked an anthill; ambulance sirens were wailing, lights flashing as the EMT's began promptly looking over the students who were surrounded by a mass of cops hastily interrogating them for any information they could gain. There were maybe a dozen or so, all looking bedraggled and exhausted, a few having burst into relieved tears after finally making it out alive.

Rusl found his eyes scanning the crowd hungrily, yearning for some glimpse of his son… His heart plummeted when he realized that he wasn't there. Sighing, he reached out and grabbed an officer at random, demanding to know how these students had escaped.

"I-I don't know sir, I just arrived here myself. Uh, but," he said quickly as a vein began to throb in Rusl's temple, "They're all saying something about being rescued. It looks like the quarterback was the one who led them out of the building."

Rusl nodded and clapped the man lightly on the shoulder. "And where is he?'

"O-Over there, with the cheerleader." he said, gesturing to a small huddle of officers who were trying vainly to shield the students from a wave of reporters that were calling questions from the streets.

Striding forward, Rusl closed the space between them quickly and tapped the boy on the shoulder. He was a larger kid, taller than Rusl with biceps like boulders. He needed to get this guy into the force. The boy shot him a disgruntled look before noticing the badge and immediately becoming attentive. In a hushed voice, Rusl asked if the boy would speak with him in private; he nodded grimly and, after briefly explaining to the hysterically sobbing girl at his side, set off with Rusl behind a nearby fire truck.

Clearing his throat, Rusl opened his mouth to speak, but to his surprise the boy cut him off.

"I think you should take this." he said, reaching his hand into his waistband and drawing out a small handgun.

Rusl stared at it in surprise. "Well. So I take it you're the young man who led these students to safety. You should be very proud of yourself; everyone's calling you a hero. How in the world did you manage to take a gun away from one of the shooters?"

The boy shrugged. "Actually, it… wasn't me. And I didn't do anything special. I didn't even have to fire it. We didn't see anybody on the way out."

Rusl studied the boy momentarily. So many question… but which to ask first?

And were they even right to ask now? True, there were hostages, they needed as much intel as they could possibly get, but the students were all hysterical and libel to snap at a moment's notice. The football player in front of him was doing his best to put on a brave face, but Rusl had been in the force long enough to recognize psychological trauma when he saw it. The boy's eyes were wide and staring, and there was a hollowness to them; the delicate bubble of his teenage life had just been popped, and like it or not, he'd just had to grow up very quickly. He'd probably never be the same after today.

He decided that questioning could wait for a moment; doubtless, whatever information they could glean from the students would be more coherent after they'd been given a few minutes to calm down. Putting his arm around the boy's shoulder, Rusl began leading him away.

"What's your name, son? We should contact your parents to let them know you're safe. I'll let you use my phone."

"Darunia," the boy said. "Darunia Rocks."

"Well, Mr. Rocks, I want to thank you personally for what you did. Leading these students to safety was no small feat, you should take pride in that-"

"A-actually sir, that's… That's not actually what happened."

Rusl paused and looked back at the boy who had stopped walking. He looked like he was struggling to say something difficult.

"…What do you mean?" Rusl prodded gently.

Darunia took a deep breath, then met Rusl's gaze sternly. "Look, I didn't disarm the shooter. I'm not the hero the students are all talking about. I… I didn't really do anything."

Rusl looked at the boy oddly. Modesty? From the star of the football team? Or was there something darker at play here?

"So… who did?"

"Hero. Link Hero, I mean. He's this kid I've known since elementary, and I always… Well, h-he saved my life. He saved all of our lives, I mean. If it's possible, can I… I'd like to call his family too. Y'know, to let them know what he did for me. For all of us. He was the one who gave me the gun and told me to guide the students out. He kinda did… everything."

Rusl was stunned. "He… Well why didn't he come with you?"

Darunia sighed, scuffing his foot on the ground. "He said he needed to find his sister. I knew better than to try to talk him out of it. But… I should have… I should have gone with him… I owe him for saving Ruto…"

"His sister…"

"Aryll Hero." said a preppy voice from behind him, and Rusl turned to see the teary-eyed cheerleader from before walking forward and taking Darunia's hand, sending him a comforting smile. "That's her name. We have history class together."

Rusl felt like his heart had stopped beating.

"What's wrong?" asked Darunia, giving Rusl a queer look. "Sir- I mean, uh, Chief Smith? Are you gonna be ok?"

Rusl sighed wearily. Link Hero… He'd thought he knew that name. He'd met him a few times when he'd bring his sister by Rusl's house. His sister, the one he'd stayed in the school to rescue after saving these students, the one who was dating Rusl's son Colin. Din, but Uli wasn't going to like this… and it looked as though he had one more phone call to make.

"I'll see about letting you speak to his grandmother." Rusl said finally, ignoring the odd look he received from the teenage duo. "But first, you're going to call your own parents, and then I need you to wait here for a while and answer some questions, ok? Any insight at all that you can give us on the inside situation may be vital towards saving the rest of your classmates. Understand?"

The teenagers nodded as one, and he motioned for them to return to the others.

Goddesses above, give him strength…