Chapter 4: I'm not gonna take it
"Wake up crack-head!" yelled Rick in Link's ear.
Link let out a long groan. "Shut up before I break my foot off in your ass!"
Everybody on the bus heard this and began to slink down in their seats.
"What did you just say to me?" spat Rick, gritting his teeth. "You should learn that talking to me that way will only bring you into a world of pain. You better have a really good hiding place during lunch."
Hearing this, Link shot back, "No, I don't see a need for me to hide. You and your cronies better hide, or I'll kick all of your asses!"
After Link said this, a calamity of sounds came from the other passengers of the bus, including the driver. Rick was just about to slug Link in the gut when the bus came to a stop at the school.
"Saved by the bell Link," commented Rick. "But it won't save you during lunch."
"Terrified," mocked Link.
Link slowly walked off the bus, enjoying the stares from everyone around him. Link could hear whispers coming from everyone he passed on his way towards the school's front door. The occasional, "that's the guy who's gonna die today" made Link chuckle more than once. Despite the lack of sleep Link had that night, he wasn't the least bit nervous. He wasn't scared of anyone or anything. Among the gossip of Link sentenced to death, there was also talk of how much taller and stronger Link appeared. This fueled Link's new found confidence, and he began to smirk as he entered his first class.
"How'd you sleep last night?" asked Zelda, half asleep and slumped over in her chair. "I didn't sleep a wink."
"I didn't sleep that much either," replied Link with surprising enthusiasm. "But today, I have this new found energy and confidence. I feel like nothing can stop me."
"Don't let the thought of you having a sword get to your head," said Zelda in a casual tone. "Just because you can slice your own foot off doesn't mean you should."
"Ha-ha, I laugh at your incredibly funny joke," replied Link, in a mono-tone and rolling his eyes. "Have you ever thought of becoming a comedian?"
"No, but I always wanted to be royalty."
"Oh, but you are, a royal pain in my a-"
"Don't say it Link," spat the teacher in the room.
Link was now leaning up against a wall outside the school. Nearby, he could hear Rick, Jason and Brick discussing how they will attack him. Link thought it would be a good idea to catch them off guard outside where teachers won't be able to interrupt them.
"I say that we just go in there and break his nose," said Brick dumbly.
"Forget that, I say that I chase him around and then we clothes-line him," said Jason, rubbing his hands together.
"Shut up, both of you," retorted Rick. "We're just gonna rough him up a bit to show him who's boss, and if he smart-mouths…we kick his ass."
"Or not," replied Link, wearing a smirk.
"How convenient, our victim came to us," bellowed Brick.
The three began to circle Link, each of them holding a large stick. After walking around Link a few times, then began to close in on him. Link stood still, not moving a muscle as he focused his attention on Rick. Link was quickly thinking of a battle plan.
"If I attack Rick, then Brick and Jason will have a clear shot at my kidneys," thought Link. "So my best bet would be to take out Rick's toadies at once. A difficult, but not impossible task."
Link turned and faced Jason and Brick. The two looked at each other puzzled and then turned their attention back on Link. Link lunged with blinding speed at Brick and Jason, grabbing the branches in their hands and yanking them out. While holding a branch in each hand, Link pirouetted on one foot knocking both Brick and Jason in the head leaving them unconscious. Rick stopped in his tracks, wide-eyed.
"Hey Moe, Larry and Curly were pushovers," mocked Link, stifling a laugh.
"Uhhh, you're so dead you little freak!" yelled Rick as he leapt at Link.
Link, still holding the two branches he stole, swung one of them as fast as he could into Rick's stomach, and using the other to hit his ear. Rick fell to his knees, holding his stomach with is arms as blood came streaming down his cheek.
"I swear Link," gasped Rick. "This is the last time you beat me. Next time you won't be so lucky."
"I'll be sure to remember that," mocked Link as he dropped the two branches and headed back to the lunch room.
Minutes later, Rick, Jason and Brick sat in the boy's locker room tending to their wounds.
"I can't believe he beat us," moaned Jason.
"Our rep. is in the hole," whined Brick.
"One person beat the three of us," groaned Rick. "It wouldn't be so bad if it was three on three, but three on one…"
"What do you expect when you are fighting a first-class warrior with twigs?" asked a figure behind them. "You didn't have any weapons that could harm him, nor did you have any magic to aid you."
"Wh-who are you?" whimpered Jason.
"If you agree to join me, then you will know me as master," replied the shady figure.
"hehe, I don't work for anyone," spat Rick. "And neither do they."
The dark figure reached out at Rick and grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. "Don't test my patience boy! If you join me, you will have power beyond your wildest dreams!"
"What kind of powers?" asked Brick raising an eyebrow.
"Great strength, magic, and speed," replied the mysterious figure, dropping Rick at the same time. "And you'll also receive great knowledge in fighting, including on how to beat your enemy…Link!"
Link sat at a table next to Zelda. He's been rambling on about his fight against the three "stooges for the past ten minutes.
"And to finish him off, I whacked him in the ear," said Link in a deep voice, making vigorous hand gestures.
"You're making this up," said a student nearby. "You, a loser, beat those guys by yourself?"
"Well, when you see them next, check out Rick's ear," retorted Link.
"Easy tiger," giggled Zelda. "You beat the three stooges and you think you're super man. I think you're letting this get to your head."
"Not too bad," said Link, smiling. "It's about time I showed them that I'm not gonna take it."