Chapter Three
Proposals
Joan was waiting outside the bar by the time Link arrived. She waved as he approached, smiling a little. "Hey handsome. Ready for another night of fun and excitement?"
"Always," the young bartender grinned. Joan punched in the key code and with a faint beep, the door unlocked, allowing the two of them to enter. Dropping off their gear in the back room, they began setting up the bar for the night's patrons. As usual, they weren't expecting a big crowd, and Link saw little point in making the place presentable, but Joan insisted that as long as they worked there, they might as well make it at least a little bit more inviting than the hole it actually was.
Link was just finishing his work on the taps when the bell above the door chimed and the first of the regulars stepped in. Link greeted him and had his drink ready and in Joan's hands in a matter of seconds. The patron thanked them both and retreated to his table, waiting for his drinking buddies. Joan and Link exchanged amused glances; the night was starting off with a typical sense of the mundane.
Three hours later things weren't much different. A few more customers had come and gone without incident, and Link had settled himself in for a slow night, as opposed to the excitement of the previous one. An old song was being cranked out of the antique jukebox in the corner of the bar, Joan quietly singing along as she sat with Link at the bar. The door chimed again, and they both looked up at the new arrival. To their great surprise, two men in well-tailored suits stepped into the bar. They looked stiff and robotic, and their bland features were almost identical. Their only distinguishable features were their eyes, whose irises were so pale they were almost white. Without even bother to look around the place, they stepped up to the bar and took seats.
Exchanging a glance with Joan, Link asked the new patrons, "What can I get you fellas?"
"Whatever's on tap," one of them answered, with an intentionally deceptive smile. His comrade mirrored the smile and nodded.
All of Link's instincts were buzzing in warning. As he poured their drinks, he looked over at Joan. "Joan, why don't you go check on Norris and Laffer, see how they're doing for drinks." Taking the hint, the waitress got up and headed over to the table on the other side of the room.
One of the men followed her across the room with his gaze. "Good call, Link," he said cheerfully.
"How do you know my name?"
"Little birdie told us," the other one replied. He took a slow drag from his glass. "So, how've you been? Keeping out of trouble?"
Refusing to take the bait, Link maintained a cool demeanor. "As little as possible. Gets a little tough living in the lower levels."
The first man laughed. "I know what you mean! You got murderers, dealers, bums, sluts, the worst possible dregs of society you can imagine, and even some that you can't."
"Terrible, terrible conditions," his partner agreed.
"Which is why we're here."
Link didn't even bother to hide his confusion any more. "What are you talking about? What do you want with me? How do you even know about me? I…"
"Oh, you exist alright," the first man smiled. "You did a good job trying to hide, as did your former employers in trying to erase your existence. But there are still ways of finding things out. The man we represent has open paths to those ways, and he wants to offer you a job."
Link's instincts were still blaring in warning, and his hand slowly wandered to the blaster Danko kept hidden under the bar. "Look, I don't know what you guys are talking about. I've got a job, I've got a life, and I don't see any reason to change that."
"Oh, we can give you many reasons…"
"The answer," Link stated. "Is no."
They looked at him for a few moments longer, their expressions flat. "Look," the first one said. "We're reasonable men. We realize that this is a lot to process. So we're going to sit here and finish our drinks. The offer is still on the table until then. Think about it."
Link's gaze never left the men as they sipped at their drinks, casually taking their time. As the first man took his last sip, he gave Link a disappointed look. "Shame you won't reconsider," he said as he and his friend rose from their stools. "Our employer doesn't like to take no for an answer."
"I'll try not to lose sleep over it," Link replied, cocking his head towards the door. The two men shrugged, placed sunglasses over their strange eyes, and left the bar. Link watched them go, pondering their words over and over in his head.
"What was that all about?" Joan asked as she returned to the bar.
Link was silent a moment longer, still thinking things over. Finally, he replied, "Nothing. They were looking for the wrong guy."
After locking up and making sure Joan was safely on her way, Link began the trek to the nearest tram station that would take him home. All the while, the events of his strange visit continued to run through his head, and he carried the blaster he had taken the previous night tucked into the back of his pants. While the two men hadn't said so directly, Link knew that they had information about his past, information he would have preferred to have stayed buried and forgotten. As the man had said, both Link and the agency he once worked for had made great efforts to erase his existence from all records—and even some half-hearted attempts to end his existence completely, though Link couldn't prove it. Either way he had been sure that no one would ever be able to find him, that he would be able to blend into the darkness and filth of the lower levels.
Apparently, he had been wrong.
Link was so deep in thought that the only thing that saved him from getting run over by a car was inherent reflexes. Cursing violently, he leapt back onto the curb as the car skidded to a halt in front of him. Scowling darkly, Link began to walk around the vehicle, but the lowering of the rear passenger window stopped him. On the other side of the glass was a fierce looking woman with short white hair, intense features, and dark shades covering her eyes. "Get in," were the first words she said.
Not quite sure what was happening, Link replied, "Look lady, it was an accident, alright? I won't call the cops and I won't sue, so let's just leave it at that. Besides, not all of us down here forget the lessons we learned as kids."
The woman nodded, a quick, nearly imperceptible movement. "Caution. Intelligence. Courage. Dually noted." The window rolled down a little more to reveal a blaster pointed directly at Link's chest. "Now," she repeated, "Get in the car."
They rode in silence, the strange woman neither explaining where they were heading and Link not even bothering to ask. The windows were darkly tinted so that it was impossible to see outside, and Link had stopped keeping track of how long they drove, figuring that any route they took would be a deception. So instead, he spent his time trying to work out possible escape plans and possible reasons as to why he had been abducted. Unfortunately, however, nothing was coming to mind.
"We're here."
Link looked up at his captor as she exited the car. He hesitated for a moment, but then seeing the futility in it, he followed behind her. Taking a look around, he noticed that they seemed to be in some sort of garage, as a variety of vehicles, both luxury and practical, were parked in the stalls. Beckoning for him to follow, the woman led Link towards an elevator that stood waiting for them. When they were inside, she said, "Office Prime," and the doors glided shut as the elevator ascended. Despite his best efforts, Link clutched his bag tighter in apprehension. He didn't feel fear at the situation, but he knew that whatever was about to happen couldn't be good.
After a long while, Link felt the elevator begin to slow until it eventually stopped. The doors opened smoothly, and the woman led him out. Looking around, Link saw that he was now in a luxurious looking office, equipped with desks, couches, vid-screens, and the largest fish tank he had ever seen lining one of the walls. Plants and works of art decorated the room, and Link was stunned by the wealth he saw accumulated in this one room. But the thing that really caught his eye was the figure standing in front of the huge ceiling-to-floor window, gazing out at the brightly lit city.
"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" the figure said, the voice smooth, feminine, and undeniably confident. "Each little light represents a life: radiant, powerful, yet ultimately finite in its endurance. And then the darkness consumes it."
"Fascinating," Link said, his patience for cryptic philosophy fading fast. "Now what exactly am I doing here?"
The woman in front of the woman laughed. "I'd heard that patience was not always on of your strong points." She turned around to face him, and Link was shocked when he saw who it was. Zelda saw the look and her grin widened in amusement. "Not quite what you were expecting is it?"
"I can honestly say that I had no idea the vice-president of Hylia Corp. had any interest in philosophical musings. Now what exactly am I doing here?"
"Respect, boy," the imposing woman behind him instructed.
Zelda waved it away. "Don't worry, Impa. Link here has every reason to be suspicious. Indeed, I'd be worried if he wasn't; then he would be entirely useless in my plans."
"And now it starts…" Link thought. Figuring that it would be better to play along for the time being, he asked, "What is it exactly that you have planned?"
Zelda's face became all business as she straightened up and looked Link directly in the eyes. "My plan is to save the world, possibly even the galaxy. And I need your help to do it."
They stood in silence. And then Link started to laugh. "And how are you going to do that princess? Raise taxes on trade routes so that only the 'best' products—and when I say 'best' I mean most expensive—goods can make it through to the public? Engulf small business into your company to provide 'unity' in the business sector? Or maybe you're planning on applying pressure to some petty mogul in one of the South Hylian nations in order to remove him from power and set up a puppet regime." Folding his arms across his chest, Link smirked in defiance, unafraid of whatever rebuttal she might offer. "Excuse my rudeness, madam VP, but I have a rather cynical view of the corporations."
Fully expecting an angry response, or even a blaster bolt in the back from Impa. However, to his surprise, Zelda merely smiled, picked up a data card from her desk, and slowly walked toward him. "Yes, so I've gathered from your OP file." Link's eyes widened, but he made no response. Zelda noticed his reaction and her smile widened. "Oh yes, it still exists. If you had been killed like was supposed to happen, it would have been destroyed immediately after. But seeing that you're alive, your Operative Performance file would come in handy if you ever needed to be eliminated or recruited for another mission." She walked up towards him and glanced down at the card. "It took me a lot of called-in favors and a lot of bargaining to gain access to it, but everything has a price."
She began circling around him, still looking at the file. "Joined MIST at the age of 11, excelled in all areas of instruction. An excellent marksman, above average strategist, a creative and surprisingly effective problem solver, and I quote 'unbeatable with a sword in his hands'. Graduated a year later at the top of your class, an accomplishment completely unheard of in someone so young. Joined Squadron Omega at the age of 13, rising to lieutenant junior-grade in the space of a year, another amazing feat. One-hundred percent success ratio in all missions for the next five years, various commendations and praises from your superiors; the word 'fearless' appears more than once. It appears that you were well on your way to greatness within their ranks," Zelda paused for effect. "But then something happened. The details are sketchy, but I can infer that it had something to do with your final mission. All knowledge has been disavowed, including your existence within the agency. For the next two years you fell off the face of the planet. Until today." Pressing a button on the data card, she closed down his file. "Tell me, Link…what did you do that managed to make you so hated by MIST that would rather forget you even existed than out and out eliminate you?"
Anger and frustration flowed behind Link's words. "A difference in opinion with my commanding officer." He fully expected her to press the matter, but thankfully she let it drop there.
"I want you to know, Link," she said as she came around to face him, all mockery gone from her face and voice. "Your past…and even your present…do not matter to me one bit. All I am concerned about is the future. And I need your help to ensure that Hyrule even has a future."
Her expression was so honest and imploring that Link couldn't help but be moved by it. "What is it that you're trying to say?" he asked.
Sensing his willingness to at least listen, Zelda smiled in relief. "I'm assuming you've heard of Hylia Corp. new agreement with Dragmire Industries."
"I have. Doesn't do much for my cynicism."
"Believe me, I am no more pleased about it than you are. Ganondorf Dragmire is the most evil man I have ever met. My father believes that by creating this partnership we will be able to curb some of his more despicable business decisions."
Link nodded. "Your father's very idealistic. What makes you think that he's wrong?"
Zelda hesitated for a moment, and if Link hadn't known any better he could have sworn that she appeared embarrassed at what she was about to say. "I have had a dream," she told him. "A dream in which our planet has been ravaged and terrorized by Ganondorf's unquenchable thirst for power. Lands are ravaged, people are suffering, life is in chaos." She looked up into Link's eyes, and he could see the fear behind her gaze. "But in my dream, there was a ray of hope. A man enshrouded by green light, radiating courage, sword in hand. He had with him a green gemstone, and flying above his shoulder was a fairy. I know that he is the one that can save us from Ganondorf's dreams of domination, who can lead us all to freedom. The man in my dream was you."
Completely speechless, Link simply stood there, his hand nearly moving up to touch the green charm around his neck. Catching himself, he asked instead, "Have…have you told your father about this?"
Zelda scowled. "I told him of my forebodings about Ganondorf, but he doesn't believe them. He thinks that I am being overcautious and anxious about this 'new era' as he calls it. He refuses to see Ganondorf for what he really is. Which is why it is up to us to stop him."
Again, Link didn't know what to say. He desperately wanted to believe that this was all a trick, some ploy she was using in order to get him on her side, but a small part of him that he couldn't identify kept nagging at him, telling him that what she said was true, and that he couldn't afford to turn a blind eye to the situation. "So what is it you want me to do?" he asked. "What can I do? You want me to go up there and ask him nicely to stop being such a dick? Or do you want me to kill him?" Link's face twisted in disgust. "That's why you dug up my file, right? You wanted to make sure I had a few notches under my belt before you went ahead with this."
Now it was Zelda's turn to get angry. "I don't know what you're supposed to do," she told him. "If I want you to kill him, then fine, that's what you'll do. But until that time comes, if ever, I need to know that you're on my side." She jabbed a finger into his chest. "Like I told you, I don't give a shit about your past or whatever it is you call your life. You're a tool, you always have been. For MIST, for society, and now for me. But I won't use tools that aren't appropriate for the job, so now you have two options: you can help me, and become a part of something important and worthwhile, or you can walk out that door and back into obscurity. The choice is yours."
They glared at each other for a long moment, neither one of them willing to back down, and Link couldn't help but respect the conviction he saw in her eyes. Whatever else this primped up little media darling was, she had balls. But Link had learned a long time ago what happened when you fought for a cause that wasn't your own. Hefting his bag on his shoulder, he turned around and headed back towards the open elevator. Hitting a button, he cast one last look at Zelda as the doors shut in front of him.
Zelda watched Link leave the room with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the encounter had played out exactly as she had anticipated. On the other hand, however, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at the outcome.
"The potential is evident," Impa commented as she stepped up beside her charge. "But I am not so sure he is the one you seek."
"Oh, he is the one I seek," Zelda assured her. "All he needs is a little more convincing." Folding her arms over her chest, she allowed herself a mischievous smile. "Send out Navi."
