(All rights reserved by Nintendo & Capcom!)

Tonight, was the night of the breakout.

Months of meticulous planning, infinite patience, countless hours dedicated to scavenging, an arm forever lost to the crazy maverick, and decades of denial would finally come to fruition. Even the shady alliance with their mysterious supporter would pay off splendidly. Those avaricious fiends who held them captive for years will soon be paid their proper comeuppance. The indomitable concrete walls will no longer conceal the dingy rooms suffocated of almost all air and light, the clanky machinery only maintained at half-best, the haggard skeletons with droopy flesh that attended the machines with eyes void of all hope, and the tell-tale blood stains missed by the malfunctioning janitor bot when an "employee "finally succumbed to the cruelty of his confined existence. No longer will the ignorant, free world look upon the company of Sweet-N-Cheap the same ever again. They will not regard their beloved, cheap products as mere pleasures no more but as tokens of absolute misery and the violation of human dignity at its most deplorable.

The laborers were finally breaking free.

A tall man, extremely lean but muscular, with tanned orange skin from the tropics and piercing black eyes that penetrated the very window of your soul. Whistled merrily to himself for the first time in weeks since he lost his right arm to his-rather temperamental prey. Followed by a troop of men, all as thin as he was but able to build up their strength in time for the fateful night. The shoddy factory for once was shut down, all communications savagely slashed so nothing will be heard until the "managers" showed up. They would be beyond infuriated to find things in such a dead-like state, but what they thought mattered no more. For they will be losing far more than their "precious" hours of production...

The troop trampled down the rusty stairs acting as if they were touring Buckingham Palace instead of the dusty and dank underground of the factory. They whooped, galloped, and joked like drunk crazies to be shush occasionally by their valiant leader. Down the musty and freezing hallways of gloomy grey were numerous vaults where supplies were usually stored. At the end of the hallway stood the hugest vault of them all. Where there lay the beast, whose catastrophic awakening would spell the end for the entire island. A small price to pay for freedom and the chance to live a true life.

A roar erupted from within the vault that should have sent the men screaming for their lives or the very least drain them with utter terror. They only grinned in mad delight as the leader chuckled mightily to himself. "Quite a ticked-off beastie, ain't he boys?" His fellow rebels laughed out loud, "Not as livid as you were Bali when the wrench tore off your arm!" Bali flexed his clawed mechanical arm, a fine trophy from his men after taking down the ferocious maverick.

"Alright boys, you know what to do. Set up the timer and were ditch our monster while we hide out in the bomb shelter. Manu, is everyone evacuated to the bomb shelter?" A short man whose face was horrifically scarred nodded to affirm it. Bali turned to a woman with dark skin and an eye patch that covered a long-lost eye. "Meilani, are the drones ready to be deployed for our guests of honor?" She held up the tablet that controlled them all with a victorious smile.

Bali smirked, "Alright, move it gang!" The troop bustled about as they dispersed wires, set up containers, and installed the timer. Once everything was in place, the rebels high tailed it out of there, leaving a wrathful maverick behind them. The timer ticked painfully slow for the maverick's taste. Promising himself that he would punish those impertinent mortals the minute he unearthed them from their hidey hole. He paced restlessly by his prison door, retaining every bit of his willpower to retain his patience and tolerate the taunting ticks of the confounded timer.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Click.

Chemical fountains emerged, drowsing the vault with its acidic properties which had already begun to devour the metal like a ravenous mold. The previously indomitable hulk of metal dissolved before the maverick's poisonous purple eyes... He jumped out of his cell like an oversized rabbit genetically altered for destruction. Mouth framed with a malicious, toothy grin; the towering dinosaur maverick leaned his head towards the ceiling. The factory above him erupted like a volcano as it spewed molten earth, concrete, and metal!

A jeep nearly met its ultimate demise as it veered violently out of the way of the newborn volcano! The jeep swerved so harshly to its side that it flipped over three times before crashing with a THUD. Crawling out of the hapless wreck were four bodyguards and the unfortunate manager whose entire career would unknowingly be ended by Bali. The manager was about to go on a scandalous cursing spree when his eyes caught sight of the monster that crawled out of the volcano. A towering dinosaur of rusted but fortified metal, glowing a sinister aura of purple, numerous tentacles all over his body, a gigantic crystal humped on his back, and two bull horns crowning his head.

The manager knew he would not need to google who it was. The reploid monstrosity well known by five countries who have borne witness to his horrific epidemics. A scientific experiment gone horribly wrong where a virus was tampered in vain to formulate a cure. The beast let out a triumphant roar that reverberated throughout the entire island. Spewing blazing white plasma from his mouth, he rampaged from the ruins of his confinement to rage havoc on the puny humans that dared to cross him!

The manager became so pale as if he became a ghost. Nothing could possibly save the business now and rescue him from the fury of justice's long awaiting blade. Every dastardly deed committed by Sweet-N-Cheap would be paid tenfold by burning plasma. He flipped open his phone, dialed the number, and prayed for the first time in his life. "Hello? Maverick HQ? This is Daichi calling from the company Sweet-N-Cheap. Please come in quickly as soon as you receive these coordinates. Our company is under siege by...Viralzilla."

(Meanwhile in Maverick Hunters Headquarters, Abel City, Japan.)

Link narrowly dodged Zero's deadly blade of light. He whipped around to deliver a fatal blow only to be blocked and forced to jump onto a tree branch. Zero lunged in for the hit and succeeded in giving his prodigy his third battle scar for the day. Link became furious as he tried to land at least one hit on his mentor-only to be coolly thrown off. Zero stood back as Link caught hold of bamboo, so far, his new student had endured the longest duels out of all the hunters he ever trained.

Three months has past ever since the Force Metal incident. No charges were pressed, Link had recovered and remained sound as a bell ever since. Zero, despite his misgivings against Avalon, accepted his new position as mentor. X would cover for him whenever he had training sessions with the hero-in-training. Today they were going over swordsmanship yet again, the selected battle arena being a bamboo forest. The younger reploid had yet to upstage the master swordsman.

Actual combat is not as easy as simulation tests... Link groaned as he evaded the swift blows of his commander. Suddenly, the doors to the battle arena burst open as X rushed through them. "Zero! We just received word that the maverick, Viralzilla has finally been sighted!" His scarlet companion almost dropped his blade in shock. "WHAT?! He's already starting another reploid epidemic?!"

"No, but this time he targeted the main facilities of the company, Sweet-N-Cheap! And the island is already being demolished as we speak! We have got to depart immediately!" Zero sheathed his saber and hopped off to join X who also beckoned to Link. Zero raised an eyebrow at this, "Shouldn't the kid stay behind?"

X let out a deep sigh, "I personally fear for his safety considering his inexperience and short time in the world. But Dr. Avalon insisted that we bring him along." "And since when did you start taking orders from him?!" Zero growled menacingly. "I'm anti-viral." The tall commander stooped down to meet his trainee's timid gaze. "I have an organic matter processor which enables me to drink health potions. I have an immune system like organic beings."

"Of course, the fox would come up with a clever little trick like that." The hunter mused as he marched through the doors. X, noticing Link's grim expression, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry if he's scaring you Link. Recent events so far have made him tense, but he'll never go so far as to hurt you. It's just that he and your guardian have some strange qualms for each other...Pick up Navi and Takeo before we go, ok?"

The boy nodded. Yet his mind debated on whether if telling X the truth would be any help...

A huge warship soared towards the island ablaze with fire and swirling with thick clouds of smoke. All too familiar roars could be heard miles away. Causing the hunters onboard to grip their weapons tightly. The squad only consisted of New Gen reploids, cyber elves, one mechaniloid wolf, and four prototype androids. Axl polished his guns anticipating the sweet payback he'll get from Viralzilla for trying to take him hostage last year. (An embarrassing situation he never wanted to be brought up.) X and Zero tossed strategies back and forth to determine which would be best for taking down the enemy. While a certain newbie in green hoped he would not make a fool of himself.

This is it. You can do it Link. You may not have the Triforce of Courage, but you have... He peeked at his inventory where his shield, hookshot, fire rod, ice rod, bombs, a bow, special arrows that electrocuted upon impact, potions, repair kits, and saber were stored. Then he counted his bored-looking wolf and cyber elf who was chattering with her fellow elves. I think I brought enough... Hopefully

Then a voice cackled on the intercom, "Good afternoon, this is your pilot speaking. We are approaching our current destination where you will be facing a pain half as big as Sigma." Everyone groaned at the extremely lame joke... The voice continued on, "Soon I'll be dropping you all off when I've located a safe area. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for risking your lives for the sake of both androids and men. And if this unfortunately becomes your last mission, we will ensure you a proper military burial!"

Even if the pilot meant it with the best intentions-he dampened the mood in seconds flat. "This better not be the cause of your funeral X..." Zero hissed, now even in a fouler mood than before. The shorter hunter punched his friend in the arm and rolled his eyes, "You better be safe too ya annoying hypocrite..." Axl snickered as if he just heard the greatest joke ever invented. "I think it would take a millennia before I attend any of your funerals!"

The scarlet veteran turned on Axl, "And the both of us are definitely NOT attending yours too early. So be cautious for goodness' sake and-" "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Keep an eye on Link so nothing bad happens to him or Hyrule will foot us the bill!" "Dear passengers, please disembark and make sure not to land in the fires. I cannot take medical responsibility if you do so!" Announced the pilot. The door opened wide as hunters already began jumping out with cyber elves floating behind them. Link came to the edge with Takeo trembling wild with excitement.

"Takeo, jet mode please!" Takeo sprung into the sky, morphed mid-leap, and spun around back to his owner. His back had become a flat board and his back legs were now jet thrusters. The blonde hopped on Takeo and Navi followed him, "Let's show this maverick what your made of Link!" "Eldin-steel alloy and" "Not literally-" "Gotcha!" "Oooooohhhhhhh! You're going to get it Link Avalon!" The boy laughed as he rocketed away from an infuriated blue ball of wrath!

Soon the squad stopped only half a mile away from the maverick. Before discussing their game plan, Commander X calculated a quick head count. Two were missing. Just then, Axl burst through some bushes panting, "Wait, Link isn't here?" "Aren't you supposed to keep an eye on him?!" Suddenly Zero shouted, "WHAT THE SMOKES?!" Everyone looked up to see the green-clad rookie being sped away from his uncontrollable wolf jet. For some unknown reason the wolf was performing flips, twirls, nosedives, and all kinds of daredevil stunts!

One week earlier...

The janitor could not help but eye the robot boy in envy as he played with his wolf. He always wanted a dog; the problem was that organic pets died too early. Every time he scraped together the money needed to buy the longer lasting, yet more expensive mechaniloid pets. Some unexpected expenses would crop up and he'll usually end up with only a fifth of what he saved. (Despite being a reploid, he lived with a lower-class human family. And his job happened to be the best paying out of all of them.)

Then the little cyber elf that tagged around the boy called him away to do something important. The blonde sighed as he left Takeo with a steel pipe to chew on. The wolf crumpled the unlucky pipe as if it were only paper. After reducing the metal to mere fragments, he turned around and drifted into a rewarding nap. The janitor stared thoughtfully at the wolf; a forbidden scheme began to form into his brain...

The janitor slipped off to Douglas' workshop, owning access to most facilities because he cleaned them. The engineer was not around, and his workshop was so crowded with gadgets, thingamabobs, and whatnots galore that he surely would not miss one little piece. He pretended to be wiping the table which needed cleaning anyway. When eyes fell upon a plate of mechaniloid chips with the label reading: Possible pets for Hunters. One chip elevated from its tray to be carefully pocketed away.

The chip was suspended within darkness until a hand finally lifted it up to the light once more. It hovered above the furry canine head before being installed. Inside the electronic brain of the mechaniloid, the chip went to work altering the program of its host. The janitor smiled when a flash came over the wolf's eyes which indicated that the new commands had been processed. Suddenly, the clambering of its owner and the deep voice of Commander Zero were heard not too far away. In a burst of fear and shock over what he had done-he bolted for it.

Now...

"TAKEO! TAKEO! STOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Link pleaded as his wolf literally spiraled out of control! His canine companion zipped, zoomed, pivoted, and somersaulted with no sign of stopping. Navi fluttered helplessly after the rocketing duo, unable to catch up with Takeo's sudden influx of speed. The unfortunate pilot of the furry missile gripped onto the neck and forcefully steered him downwards to land. He closed his eyes as he felt their descent accelerating, unaware of the incoming disaster...KAPAWNG!

Pain struck through his entire body as he felt Takeo ricochet off something much harder than a wall of concrete. They unceremoniously crash-landed into the dirt with a distressing groan from the dark-colored lupine. The youth wobbled a bit as he stood up to examine his wolf, "For crying out loud Takeo! What the bolts could have scrambled your systems at a critical moment-" "LOOK OUT!" Navi shrieked just in time for Link to catch sight of the blast of plasma launched straight at them!

The reploid grabbed Takeo and narrowly dodged the infernal beam by a mere few feet. Navi encircled herself and her friends with an aura of defensive light blue. Shielded by his elf, Link raised his eyes to meet the enemy-and nearly shrank back in terror. Before him stood the colossal, rusty, and menacing form of a dinosaur-like creature. Which could only be the dreaded Viralzilla.

All alone, with no one by his side except for a cyber elf and a wolf most likely out of commission. It became explicit that it would be up to him to hold off the beast until the other hunters arrived. Unsheathing his sword and shield, arming his heart with courage, he gazed defiantly at the maverick. "Bring it on big boy..." He challenged.

Viralzilla released flaring plasma as the young warrior leapt aside to evade the lethal blast. He quickly produced a green bomb and hurled it with all his might at the ugly glare of the maverick. Sploosh! The dinosaur bellowed in outrage as slimy, green glue covered its eyes. As it clawed the offending gunk off its face, Link handed a repair kit to Navi. "Try to repair Takeo if you can. I'm going to be running circles around beastie until the squadron show up!"

"You better not be too reckless Link! And don't try to pull any big shots until the others-" The boy has already dashed off to annoy the heck out of a very vexed rogue. With Viralzilla preoccupied, Link wielded his bow and unleashed his arsenal at the gleaming crystal on its back! Only for the ghostly tentacles of the malefactor disintegrated all his arrows before they even hit their target. Drat. Need to rid him of his defenses first.

The ice rod came out next as it released a wintry flurry upon the tentacles. Being holographic, the only good it did was give his opponent a new coat of glistening ice. By this time Viralzilla had finally cleared enough glue from his face to see again. As punishment for the humiliation the giant suddenly vaulted towards Link with his mouth breathing plasma. Link barely rolled away just in time to avoid being crushed or reduced to a molten puddle.

The next twenty minutes were nearly unbearable to Link as he unwillingly played tag with a hopping mad fiend three times the height of Major Signus. The blonde was grateful for his nimbleness and speed as he evaded either the stomping or blasts of the giant villain behind him. The android took out five regular bombs which he threw behind him as he veered sharply to the right. BADA BOOM! BADA BOOM! BADA BOOM! His pursuer tripped headfirst into the pit created by the bombs. Seizing his chance, the warrior brandishes his fire rod to send a blazing wave of fire at his enemy's exposed back.

Yet once again the infuriating tentacles foiled his plans as they are merged into a single shield over the crystal. "YA GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Link wailed. He guzzled down a stamina potion before being chased by the maverick again. Holding his shield behind his back to ward off the searing plasma, he materialized his hookshot with a feasible plan forming in his mind. If I can yank off one of his bull's horns. Maybe I can use it against him!

Link flung several flash bombs at Viralzilla which forced the beast to retreat several steps to clear his sight of the bright flashes. He deployed his ice rod again this time plunging it into the ground which froze the entire area an ice rink. The bulky dinosaur bumbled haplessly about as he frantically tried to keep from slipping. The looked so comical to see the renowned outlaw stumbling and flailing about! Ignited by his clumsiness and the gall of the intolerable green reploid, he proceeded to make quick work of the makeshift ice rink with his plasma breath.

Just as he dissolved the last of the offensive ice-CLANG! Viralzilla almost choked on his own breath as he felt a metal object grip one of his precious horns... A safe distance away, Link smiled triumphantly as he prepared to pluck off the horn-only to find himself flying towards the maverick as it tried to shake off his hookshot! He had underestimated his opponent's astounding strength, as he hung on for dear life as he was spun all around in crazy throes by the maverick. Viralzilla bucked again and again as Link yowled in pain every time his body smashed into his enemy's harsh body.

With a determined growl he finally wrestled free of the hookshot which sent Link crashing into the ground in defeat. The disoriented youth groaned in agony while his foe tore off the troublesome metal hook. Barely enough time for Takeo to swoop out of the skies to rescue his master from becoming the giant scoundrel's next victim. Once they were situated far enough from their adversary, Navi totally let Link have it, "WHAT IN THE NAME OF ROBOTICS HAPPENED TO YOU?! YOU LOOK LIKE A HEAP OF JUNK SCRAPED FROM THE STREETS!" Fortunately, her scolding was given only with loud whispers, but still irritated her charge.

Two potions from his inventory were gulped down to restore his battered form. The youngster sighed, "I admit it, I totally got whipped by Viralzilla. So much for my first mission..." Navi sat on his shoulder, "Its ok Link, this world isn't going to go easy on you. So, successes will be earned to a minimum." The walloped teenager had no idea how that gloomy fact was supposed to be comforting. "Try to call the other hunters on your comm. Its best we lay low for now..."

A gruesome howl not too far away warned them that they would urgently need help. Takeo shot off at full speed as Viralzilla bounded after the trio. Shielded by Navi, Link turned on his comm praying that the health potions have fully mended the damage inflicted by the maverick. A signal popped up; Link grabbed it without even checking to see who it belonged to. When he was linked the android excitedly blabbered into his comm, "Oh thank goodness you finally picked up! The maverick is after my hide and my coordinates are-"

"Woah, woah, woah, stranger! Slow down your speech a bit! How have you managed to contact our shekiah slate?! The final model has just been finished!" An unfamiliar male voice responded quizzically. Link realized his mistake and began sputtering in sheer embarrassment, "I-I-I am, am really sorry sir! I didn't, I, I'm just trying to reach my comrades because, you see. There is a vengeful T-Rex after me and-"

"Chill stranger, I'm sure maybe we can help you out! After all, you must be quite a genius if you somehow managed establish communication with our newest invention!" Link blinked. "I'm sorry, who are-" Then a female voice burst in hyperactively exclaiming, "Oh gracious Hyrule! Someone can call us on the shekiah slate?! This development is beyond SUCCESS! And who do we, Purah and Robbie, have the honor of meeting?!"

The young reploid became struck with shyness, "Uh, I'm no one really special really... My name is Link and I just happened to pick up your-" But a plasma bolt thrust at them caused Takeo to spin uncontrollably in circles. Seeing how their opposition became grimmer, he was about to drop the call when Robbie gasped aloud. "JUST WOAH MY MAN! WHAT IS THAT INSANE PIECE OF TECH?! ITS ALMOST AS LARGE AS VAH NABORIS!"

Link's eyes widened in bafflement, "How can you see-" Purah butted in, "A malicious excuse for a divine beast, yeah? Well, it looks like we can help you out after all! Consider a thank you for proving that our latest invention is bound to revolutionize Hyrule!" The blonde felt like somebody dropped ride armor onto his head. How in the world has he picked up a signal all the way from Hyrule?!

Before he could speculate further Robbie piped in, "Hang on tight Link! We have your coordinates, hopefully Revali is willing to lend a wing! Keep on the lookout for a gigantic golden bird, that should be Vah Medoh! Nice to meet you Link!" Click. End of message. He felt so bamboozled that he would have fallen off Takeo if his life did not hang in the balance.

How could they have seen Viralzilla?! He puzzled as he dodged more blasts from his enemy behind.

I wonder how advanced their technology is? It might be a bit behind if their slate-thingy is the first communication device. But then again, it appears they have giant mechs at their command. He pondered as he piloted Takeo through a warehouse which was demolished by his predator's arrival.

I'm sure grateful this Purah and Robbie so graciously sent me aid. I will most likely meet them considering their part of Hyrule's science support. He dwelled as he fired more bombs to deter the savage hunter from overtaking them.

Ugh! I've gotten too deep under his skin to let me go! Lovely, my first mission and it already looks to be my last. AND WHEN WILL THAT REVALI SHOW UP?! He snarled in exasperation as his saber struck back a blow against Viralzilla's head when he gotten too close!

The race for survival continued for an hour as Link became desperate to throw the oversized hound off them. A beeping from his wolf sadly notified him that his ride was practically running on fumes. He would not be able to outrun his tailer for long. The warrior's mind scrambled to come up with the best strategy available to penetrate the barrier surrounding the crystal-without being retired early that is. A blast from Viralzilla hit home and sent poor Takeo spiraling to the ground.

The titanic menace sauntered over to his victims, knowing they would have nowhere to hide. Link gritted his teeth as he unfurled more bombs and help up his shield. Just when the dreaded dinosaur was about to pounce-a golden beam struck him from the sky! The dinosaur protested in fury as he collided into a warehouse. His prey held his head to the skies and spotted it, a warship-sized mechanical bird which could only be Vah Medoh.

"Not too shabby for Hylian tech huh?" A pompous voice crackled into his comm. The green-clad android responded, "Oh, you must be Revali! About time you showed up! I was almost stamped into an eldin-steel alloy waffle!"

The pilot only chuckled at this, "Ha, ha, ha! You must be one of those reploids made by the humans. Purah and Robbie are just dying to meet one. I'm pretty sure there be so ecstatic when meeting you, that their jump through the roof! Now don't get your tail feathers into a twist! Just give me all the info you can on lizard king here!"

Fortunately for Link, Viralzilla's focus was soon consumed by rage for the intruder as he began targeting Vah Medoh with plasma. True to its form, it danced gracefully through the air, dodging its assailant's attacks with swift ease. Rushing to safety on the sidelines, Link told Revali everything he should know about their opposition. "He's a maverick wanted for viral infection, endangerment of the public, hostile takeovers, and mass destruction. There is a crystal on his back which is his weak spot, but it's fortified by a shield. If you get too close, the shield will morph into tentacles that will corrupt any nearby technology. The shield is nearly invulnerable, it wouldn't yield to ice, fire, and electricity."

Revali mulled over the data, "Those tentacles are his trump card, eh? Hmmmm." For a short while there was silence as Link watched Viralzilla chase Vah Medoh like an overgrown bulldog after a bird. Then he heard a snap from Revali, "I got it! Listen here, I lure gargantuan here into a duel. I'll slightly get close enough for him to unleash his tentacles. As soon as his sparkly back is exposed-hit it with all you've got!"

The blonde agreed, "Good plan. Just make sure that not even one of those tentacles touch your mech-" "Oh please! I'm not the chosen champion of the noble Rito for nothing! Besides, klutzy boy here is hardly a match for my divine beast!" The level-headed android frowned, hopefully this pilot's cockiness would not cost them their lives. The gleaming divine beast descended to lower altitudes; the aerial machine whirred as it charged its cannon to its fullest. Then it launched a blast as mesmerizing as the sun towards Viralzilla.

The maverick intercepted the attack with his own blinding beam of withering light. Deep violet and gold clashed between the two titans in the battle for supremacy. Exerting all of his strength into the controls, Revali inched his divine beast closer to their target. Viralzilla's eye gleamed in sinister anticipation as he watched his prey draw nearer. Meanwhile, Link had secured a position close enough to aim for a devastating shot at the dinosaur's precious crystal. His computer mind suggested several methods of wiping out the weakness in one hit.

A fistful of bombs? A strike from his saber would be too close. Maybe if he used both his rods, no, they would only cancel each other out. Would three arrows shot at once do the trick? "Everything alright Link?" Navi asked concerned. His eyes fell to his saber resting next to the bow in his inventory.

A lightning bolt struck his gears. "Navi, can you modify my bow to make it strong enough to shoot my saber?" Navi almost dropped mid-air. "What?" "Also modify my saber too as a large arrow." "Uuuuuhhh, Link?" Her charge had already handed her both items. "There is no weapon here as lethal as my saber. If I can maneuver it like an arrow. I can take down the beast with only one shot!"

The blue elf did not know what to think of it. Still, she altered the items anyway because it was worth a shot. Back at the battlefield, despite Revali's high claims, it dismally appeared that Viralzilla and Vah Medoh were evenly matched. The pilot's feathers bristled as he wrestled with the jumbo-sized lizard that dared to overtake his divine beast. The confounded reptile would not be pulling his trump card until he was close enough for its liking. Never to back down even from gruesome matches like this, he activated the second cannon reserved for emergencies.

Viralzilla felt the increased force threatening to crush his stance, but he hardly care. Sooner or later that blasted bird was going to be at his command. Only half a mile away, a courageous young lad steadied his bow and prepared his aim. With one final push Vah Medoh came through, Viralzilla snatched his chance and unfurled his tentacles. A hundred phantom limbs were scarcely a few feet away from claiming the divine beast when a most agonizing cry erupted from their master. Link's "arrow" has flown true.

With a last deafening howl, the titan collapsed to the ground with a blinding white saber lodged into his back. Link left Navi with Takeo as he cautiously approached the maverick. Scanning the comatose dinosaur, it revealed that the virus powering him was exterminated when his plasma blade struck its container. Without his power source, the once-mighty transgressor would not be terrorizing anyone soon. He watched as Vah Medoh parked dozens off feet away from where he stood. Suddenly, a figure leapt from the mech and flew over to the baffled teenager.

Link stepped back to acknowledge the pilot who had aided him. Shaped like a man and just as tall, only all his features were that of birds. Feathers cornflower blue and eyes like freshly cut emeralds. He wore white armor, a bright scarf as blue as the sky, and an impressive bow anchored to his back. What paralyzed young Link in his tracks was the accusation and disapproval that crowned the warrior's countenance.

For what seemed like eternity the two were locked in a silence so tense it could serve as thick as jam. Sucking up his courage, Link broke it by extending a warm hand. "Nice to meet you Revali, I always wanted to meet the Rito. Thanks for the help back there..." He tried his best not to seem nervous, surely the Rito would become friendly? But the glare did not crumble to Link's cordial words and kindly gesture.

In a reproachful tone the Rito replied, "To be honest, I'm certainly surprised that someone like you would need my help. Which begs the question-why are you impersonating Hyrule's long-lost champion?" Pointing his wing at Link, the stance and his colors would no doubt remind anyone watching of a certain ace attorney... The poor lad was startled but stood his ground thankfully. "Calm down! I'm not mimicking anybody! I was built like this!"

"And for what purpose exactly besides ripping off one of Hyrule's most honorable legends?!" The Rito champion demanded. Anger flared in Link's chest, "For your information, the Hylian Council made a contract with Dr. Chikao Avalon to construct me. Due to the fact that your Hero has been missing for three entire centuries." The thunderstruck reaction of the Rito signified that he did not take the news rather well.

He stared at Link dumbfounded until his gaze snapped cold. "I don't believe you..." He hissed before scorning, "Why would the Hylian Council, in their right mind, stoop so low as to have an imposter forged?! It's as outrageous as if the Hero was just another cartwheel that can be simply replaced! It's like saying that anyone from our past and present could be substituted like nothing! No self-respecting citizen of Hyrule would suffer just a-disgrace!" He spat.

The reploid before him felt the oil boiling within him as he defended himself. "Look, it wasn't my choice, ok?! So not to ruffle your feathers but the only reason I'm here is because PEOPLE NEED ME!" Revali snorted as if he heard the most outlandish joke in Hyrule. "Needed? For the people?! BAH! More like you're only the beginning of what's to come! I can imagine it now, warriors, healers, blacksmiths, weavers, farmers, all to be replaced by metal men like you. What's next? Your soon to be joined by a lady reploid who will be our new Princess Zelda?!"

The bombarded android smarted from the hurtful remarks. "I'm not just some cheap replacement, ok?! And if it makes you feel better, I met the real descendent of Princess Zelda. So, you don't have to worry over being ruled by my kind-" "Oh! So, I'm guessing you found the princess? And I bet she already knighted you right?! That someone of her blood would bestow one of our highest honors to some pathetic excuse?!"

"IF YOU HATE ME THAT MUCH JUST GO HOME! Sorry for wasting your invaluable time!" The wearied android screamed at the Rito, hoping he would just leave him alone. Alas, Revali was not finished with him yet, "Heed my warning new hero, or whoever else you may be. The long-lost Hylian Champion was not most renowned for his unparalleled swordsmanship or physical strength. But for his unbound courage, perseverance, and willingness to do what needed to be done."

The grave champion prepared to take flight as he gazed solemnly into Link's eyes. "If you cannot match our true hero in heart. Then not even your newfangled skills nor metal body can make you half the man he was." A gale powered by Revali knocked the blonde off his feet as the Rito took to the skies. "Until then, good luck in defeating the darkness!" He cried out before descending upon his divine beast to soar homewards.

As Vah Medoh streamed homewards, its pilot was entirely ignorant of what he done. He knew next to nothing about the true nature of reploids, nor the desperation of the Hylian Council. Who held confidential but urgent reasons for resorting to such a risky decision. He was a righteous warrior bound by honor and loyalty to his beloved country. As a chosen defender of his people, Revali would always confront any threat he perceived against those in his charge. To him, he was just merely intimidating a possible enemy so he would know well not to lay even a finger of harm on his dear Hyrule.

Not knowing that he in fact, had crushed the self-esteem and heart of a child...

Author notes: The maverick's vault is melted by gallium and hydrofluoric acid.