Invincible - Adelita's Way

Believe me, you've never met a mother fucker like me. Bet you've never seen the things that I've seen, bottled up inside this time, 'cause I'm taking back my life. I'm rising up. I've had enough. I'm feeling invincible tonight. I'm alive. Take a look into my eyes. This time I'm a take you for a ride. I'm invincible tonight. I'm feeling invincible tonight.

Cado and his men were waiting outside of Faron just as Impa said. He was leaning against a black car, straightening when they approached. He smiled at Rusl as he stepped out of the car, then turned his gaze to Uli and Link in her arms.

"Rusl," Cado said in greeting. "It's been a while." He caught sight of the weapon on Rusl's hip and grinned. "Preparing for a fight? You know that won't stop a Yiga."

Rusl ignored him, his gaze narrowing. "What's your plan, Cado?"

"Uli and Link come with me," he said, turning serious. He tossed him a set of keys. "The vehicles are warded. There's a radio in the console. We'll take the most direct route over Lake Hylia. I want you in the rear."

Rusl didn't like the idea of being separated from Link and Uli, but if he were given the choice, he would have made the same decision. He wasn't useless, and Cado knew this. Cado was giving him a chance to fight if it came down to it, something he would not be able to do so freely if he were too close to his family. And if Dorian couldn't be the one to help them through this, Cado was a decent second. He trusted Cado.

"Don't you think they'll expect us to go that way?" Rusl asked.

"It doesn't matter what they expect," Cado said. "They'll have their men at every possible entrance into the city. They're waiting."

"So, you're saying we won't likely get by undetected?"

"I'm saying don't make any rash moves." Cado's gaze narrowed on him. "Let us take care of this."

Rusl bit his lower lip. It was risky. And their chances of getting to the city without an altercation were slim. They would likely be ambushed. The Sheikah expected this and were clearly prepared for a fight. It seemed they had a plan which they were not about to share with him, but he didn't expect them to. He knew Impa would prefer to keep him in the dark and as uninvolved as possible. Still, he trusted them. And he knew he had to stand down and let them do their jobs.

Rusl turned his gaze to Uli and Uli moved to his side. "I'll see you in the city, okay?"

Uli frowned. "Rusl." She hesitated, then nodded. "Alright," she said. She kissed him. "See you soon."

Rusl watched as she slipped into the vehicle. Cado nodded to him, then he and his men moved toward their vehicles. Rusl slipped in behind the wheel that Cado indicated to him and started the engine. One by one, the convoy of vehicles pulled back out onto the road. Rusl followed suit, bringing up the rear. A few of the vehicles pulled away, taking other various routes, while those in front slowed their pace slightly, increasing the distance between them.

Though he was on full alert, his eyes moving to everything that caught his attention, he eventually settled in to the drive. Despite the danger of the situation, it felt familiar to him. For years, he lived for the danger of the missions he was sent out on. It was what he was trained to do. It was what he knew. And he was ready to finally fight for something that mattered to him, no matter the cost.

The first half of their trip was uneventful. But as they neared the bridge over Lake Hylia, the radio began to crackle to life. His gaze moved ahead as he listened to the chatter over the radio.

Two things were confirmed: the Yiga Clan had been waiting for them and were alerted to their approach, and the Sheikah were already engaged in battle with them.

Cado's voice came over the radio, suggesting an alternate route, but the response that followed made Rusl's heart drop. The closest alternate routes had already been blocked, and they had no choice but to move forward and cross the bridge. It seemed the Sheikah had the Yiga soldiers near the bridge occupied for the time being, so they had no other choice but to race across the bridge. And as late in the night as it was, it should have been a breeze with little traffic to interfere.

Rusl glanced in the rearview mirror as three dark vehicles pulled into the convoy behind them. Two raced by him, pulling up to the front, while the third neared him. He increased his speed as the bridge neared. Up ahead, several dark vehicles flew across the bridge. As they neared the center of the bridge, however, he could feel a pull in the air as Yiga soldiers snapped to their location, dropping onto the bridge, their arms raised to attack.

Several Sheikah soldiers appeared suddenly, knocking them backwards as the vehicles approached, and the front few cars sped through where the Yiga had stood. Battle erupted on the bridge between the Yiga and the Sheikah, but it was clear that the Yiga had instructions not to let the Sheikah hold them back. They leapt into the air, disappearing in a snap to avoid being held back by battle. When they appeared again, they dropped onto the vehicles. The cars swerved in an attempt to dislodge the Yiga, and once more, the Sheikah appeared just in time to knock the Yiga soldiers to the ground.

Several cars, however, waited for them on the other side of the bridge. Their headlights flashed in the night and their engines roared as they sped forward. As they neared the battle, the Yiga soldiers disappeared, and the cars sped through where they once stood in an attempt to collide with the Sheikah and the vehicles behind them. The Sheikah, however, thrust their arms forward, and the ground erupted, causing one of the vehicles to crash into it. The other swerved at the last second but collided with one of the vehicles driven by one of the Sheikah.

The cars that followed split in an attempt to avoid the accident, spinning out as several other vehicles sped toward them in an attempt to stop them.

Rusl was speeding across the bridge now. He had almost lost track of Cado in the chaos, but he quickly spotted the car as it swerved, still moving forward desperately to the other side of the lake. But as they neared, several cars swerved around to begin their pursuit. They closed in quickly. One sped forward, cutting the wheel as it swerved to cut them off. The second stayed close to Cado, pulling up beside him so that he had no choice but to slam on his breaks or swerve off the bridge and into the water below.

Cado chose to slam on his breaks, bringing the car to a screeching halt. But at that moment, several Sheikah appeared to come to their defense. They quickly surrounded the vehicle with raised arms, and the two enemy vehicles were pushed violently back, flying through the air and tumbling down the road and off the nearby cliff.

However, they were far from out of the woods. As Rusl neared the end of the bridge, another vehicle came flying up the road, this time from behind him. The vehicle chose to ignore everyone else, cutting in front of Rusl and making a b-line for Cado, Uli, and Link.

Rusl desperately pushed his car faster, and in a split second decision, he cut the wheel violently as he came up to the other vehicle. The car slid on its wheels as it made the sharp turn, then burst forward, careening into the other vehicle with a deafening crash. However, he didn't stop as he t-boned against the car, and the speed of the impact kept them moving across the bridge where they flipped over the edge and plummeted through the air and into the water below.

Dorian watched as Kohga spoke on the phone. He grinned, then ended the call. He turned to Dorian as he let the phone drop onto the desk.

"Go to the city," Kohga instructed him. "We have them right where we want them. Make sure all the Sheikah are out there. That will be your chance to take the princess. Understand?" His gaze narrowed on Dorian. "Do not fail."

Dorian nodded once, then disappeared quickly. When he snapped to, he was outside of Faron. Cado and his men had already left with Rusl and Uli. His brows furrowed and his eyes scanned the horizon. He didn't know what was said to Kohga and his heart started to race. Had Cado failed to get them to the city?

He dialed Cado's number. The Sheikah answered on the third ring.

"Where are you?" Dorian barked.

"Approaching the bridge," Cado said calmly.

"They're waiting for you," he hissed.

"I know. We are prepared."

Dorian hesitated. He knew he couldn't get involved. If the Yiga saw him, his cover would be blown. Kohga expected him to go to the city; there was nothing he could to to help them.

"Fuck," Cado spat, and the call ended.

Dorian's heart raced. There had to be something he could do. Anything. And his answer came in the form of Rusl's car. He threw himself in behind the wheel, thanking Rusl silently for leaving the keys. The car roared to life, and Dorian sped forward out of Faron and toward Lake Hylia.

He saw the battle as he neared the bridge, and as he approached, he watched as the Yiga closed in around Cado's vehicle. He watched as the Sheikah snapped to their defense, sending the vehicles flying backwards, and as another vehicle pulled out of the shadows, flying toward the vehicles. He watched in horror as Rusl's car sped forward, and the two vehicles careened off the bridge. They flipped over the edge, then plummeted into the water.

Dorian quickly spun the car around, cutting the wheel violently. The car spun off the road, fishtailing on the dirt before plunging forward down the hill and toward the edge of the river. Dorian stumbled out of the vehicle, his knees shaking as he searched the water desperately for the sinking vehicle. He caught sight of the edge of the bumper before it disappeared under the surface, and Dorian dove into the water in a desperate attempt to find Rusl.

The water was far too dark for any normal human to see, but Dorian quickly found the two vehicles. He swam forward, kicking hard to move down as fast as he could until he reached the car. Inside, Rusl was unconscious. Instead of fighting with the door, Dorian chose to expend his energy using his power to burst through the door. He pulled Rusl into his arms, and his lungs started to burn.

He had to kick even harder to get them both to the surface, but it seemed he wasn't getting any closer, and the corners of his vision were starting to darken. Still, he pressed on desperately until finally, they broke the surface. It took all his energy to keep them both above water while he choked and gasped for breath. Rusl's limp body did not make the rescue any easier, and Dorian began to panic. He began the swim back toward shore, dragging Rusl up over the bank and quickly setting to work, carefully multitasking healing any internal injuries he could while simultaneously performing CPR.

After a few moments, Rusl came to life, choking and sputtering as his lungs cleared of water and quickly sucked in fresh air. Dorian backed away, sitting on the dirt and forcing himself to catch his own breath as Rusl vomited.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Dorian said tiredly once Rusl had regained control of himself.

"I was thinking of keeping my damn family alive," Rusl hissed, narrowing his gaze on Dorian.

"For fuck's sake, Rusl," Dorian growled. He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed heavily through his nose. He let his forehead rest in his palm for a moment, waiting for his pulse to slow to a normal rhythm.

"Are they alright?" Rusl asked softly.

Dorian opened his eyes and met Rusl's gaze. He hesitated, unsure of the status of Uli and Link. He turned his gaze to the bridge, but he could not see what was happening. Judging by the silence, however, it seemed the battle had ended, whatever the outcome was. He could, however, still sense the presence of the spirit of the hero, which meant that Link, at least, was still alive. He focused his senses as best as he could and came to the conclusion that the Yiga had since retreated.

"I don't know," Dorian admitted. "Link is alive. I believe they're okay."

Rusl ran his hands through his wet hair. "I need to see them."

Dorian stood and held a hand out to Rusl, helping him to his feet. "Let's go."