Run.
That's all he could: run. Running away from his responsibilities and the consequences of his recent actions. Only a few weeks after being named the new Captain Hyrule, Groose Walker had done the most irresponsible act imaginable.
He ran towards some nearby warehouse, once that had been abandoned for some time. The holes in the roof allowed rain water to enter the building and caused a grass like substance to grow all the walls.
He thought back to the look on his face. He was a terrorist and a threat to national security, but he killed him in the most brutal way possible. After the first impact with the shield he was knocked out then came another bash, then another, then another, until there wasn't anything left to hit.
Groose entered the long abandoned warehouse and paced in place. The last hour or so had been playing non-stop on a loop in his head.
"Why didn't I listen!" Groose yelled out to himself, thinking back to his partner's lifeless body.
"The suit, it comes with expectations," he could hear his partner's words.
"WHY!?" Groose yelled out still trying to contemplate it all.
"You consistently make the right decisions in the heat of battle," his partner's voice echoed again. Groose thought back to that time he failed to save an entire platoon.
Right decisions with dire consequences should they have failed.
Groose collapsed to his knees and finally saw the huge mark of blood that stained the shield. Still fresh and dripping down. He would never hear the end of it. There was nothing he could do. His time as Captain Hyrule was coming to an end.
Falco and Solid Snake entered the building from another entrance, carefully examining Groose's mental state. They had to get that shield away from him.
Groose looks up and says to himself "Time to go to work." He walks towards Falco and Snake.
"Groose!" Falco says to him.
"You guys should see a medic, you don't look so good," Groose says ignoring them.
"Groose stop!" Falco declares while Groose paces around the space in front of them.
"What!?" Groose says coming to a halt. "You saw what happened, you know what I had to do! I killed him because I had too! He killed my partner!"
"He didn't kill your partner Groose," Snake said. "Don't go down that road. Believe me it doesn't end well."
"I'm not like you!" Groose shot back. He despised Snake and everything he did over the decades being under mind control.
"Listen, it was the heat of the battle okay?" Falco added. "If you explain what happened, they may consider your record. We don't want anyone else to get hurt."
Falco eyed the blood stain on the shield. It was starting to dry up and turn a dark brown like colour. His fears had started to come true. When Link handed him that shield so long ago Falco's biggest fear was how its meaning might alter if placed in the wrong hands.
"Groose…." Falco began hoping this wouldn't end badly. "You gotta give me the shield, man."
Groose looked at them both, a plan forming in his head. It was his shield and he was going to use it however he saw fit.
"Oh, so that's what this is," Groose said with a good shit eating grin. "You almost got me."
"You made a mistake," Falco reassured him.
"You don't wanna do this," Groose warned them.
"Yeah, we do," Snake said tightening his fists.
Snake charged in with Falco right behind him. They wanted to end this quick and as painlessly as possible. His mechanical arm clashed with the shield.
A well placed kick from Groose sent Falco to the ground. Groose charged at Snake with the shield only for it to get caught in his hands. They were equal strength and nothing could make either budge. Snake latched onto the shield and tried to pull it off. With his free hand he reached for Groose's gun and grabbed it.
Groose got out of Snake's lock and kicked the gun out of his hand and one well place shield bash to the head knocked Snake to the ground.
Falco ignited his jet back and performed a kick flip preventing Groose from striking Snake while he was down. Groose swung the shield back at Falco while blocking another attack from Snake.
They needed a new plan if they had any hope of disarming him.
Groose knocked Falco to the ground once more hitting him straight in the chest with the shield. Snake, using his mechanical left arm threw a series of punches to the dead centre of the shield pushing Groose back against a pillar.
With two hands Snake grabbed the shield and once again tried to rip it out of Groose's arms. The two locked eyes neither one budging. Snake began to gain to upper hand and just as the shield moved, Groose used that to his advantage and swung the shield almost striking Snake in the head. Falco jumped in only to be hit square in the chest once more and knocked to the ground.
With all his strength, Groose tossed the shield right into Snake and sent him flying back into a forklift some fifteen behind them. The shield was finally in Snake's hadn't but Groose tackled him and pinned him against the forklift.
Falco got up to asses the situation.
"Why are you making me do this!?" Groose yelled at Snake. "Why are you making me do this!?"
Groose grabbed the shield, with Snake still attached to him and swung him around sending his flying into another forklift and damaging his mechanical arm.
Falco, using his wing suit, tried to tackle Groose but was knocked to the ground by the shield. Falco looked up and rolled out of the way just in time and missed a shield bash to the face. Using his wings he got to his feet and got to safe distance.
"This isn't you Groose," Falco said. Not like the real Groose was much better for that matter.
"We could have been a team!" Groose said with a bloody smile.
Falco ignited his suit and flew right passed Groose. He fired his grappling hook and attached it to the shield sending Groose flying away. He dragged him around the room hoping to knock him out in the process.
Groose got to his feat and with all his strength was able to hold back Falco and pin him in the air. Groose pulled on the cable and sent Falco to the ground while the shield was sent in the other direction.
The two darted for the shield but Groose tackled Falco once again. He ignited his wing suit and flipped him around but Groose was having enough of his flying tricks and pinned him down once more. He grabbed his wings and began to tug, removing his helmet in the process.
"I am Captain Hyrule!" Groose yelled out with a roar as he ripped Falco's mechanical wings off from his suit. Clipping his wings and forcing him to fit on a level playing field. Groose raised his shield high, ready to finish off the job.
Snake came to and tackled Groose to the ground. They had few options left and had to get that Shield out of his hands now.
Groose tackled Snake with the shield, the two exchanging punches to the face with each other along with the way. Turns out a fully enraged, super solider enhanced Captain Hryule can take as many mechanical punches to to face as he wants to.
Snake was able to pin him to the pillar but a shield bash to his mid chest area and was sent to the ground. Groose got on top of him and bashed the shield into Snake's head. That headband must be made of kevlar because he was still moving after that. He pushed the shield into his chest hoping to finish the job.
Just then Falco jumped in and slammed a punch into Groose's head. With both hands he grabbed the shield and ignited what remained of his jetpack. With his mechanical arm pressed into Groose's chest, Snake tugged at the shield with his human arm.
Groose wasn't having any of this and get his grip tight. With all his strength his Falco tugged and tugged. On the back of his right hand a mark began to glow. For the time since he was given the shield from Link the triforce of courage glowed a brilliant golden light.
With one last push Groose's left arm snapped in two, breaking bones and the shield finally free from him.
Falco was sent flying holding the shield. Snake got to his feet while Groose could barely get up.
"That's mine!" Groose said as he spat out some blood.
"It's over Groose," Falco said as he slid the shield onto his right arm as the glow of the triforce began to fade.
"That's mine!" He said as he tackled Snake. With one fierce fist from his human arm, Snake sent Groose to the ground. Snake picked up Groose and what remained of his jet pack, Falco slammed the centre of the shield into Groose'se face.
It was finally over.
Snake got to his feet and picked up the Hylian Shield. Groose didn't move a muscle, he knew was wasn't winning. Snake walked over to Falco. He admired the shield for a moment before tossing it next to Falco.
Link gave Falco that shield for a reason. Snake knew too well why it wasn't his to inherit.
Falco got to his feat and picked up the shield. He began to wipe the blood off it. The emotions of the moment hit him all at once. All those years of looking up to him, fighting by his side and even back to his childhood days of collecting his trading cards was leading to this one moment.
Falco was now Captain Hyrule.