A/N: After a long hiatus, I decided to come back and fix up this story. And, seriously? This... this needed some serious, serious overhaul. I apologize to everyone that lost interest in this, or that was disappointed and wanted me to continue. I had to go through some... pretty hard stuff last year, and well, it didn't clear up until the start of this summer. Anyway, that's no real excuse, but I'm trying, and I'll try to finish this story. It shouldn't be too much longer, anyway, after I'm done updating/uploading all the new replacement chapters.
Warning: This is a CYBERPUNK AU (Alternate Universe), heavily inspired by Ocarina of Time, but not a parody/mirror/whatever. By cyberpunk, I am including dark themes, suggestive material (including but not limited to: drug use, horny teenagers, unorthodox violence, excessive cursing, and addiction/dependency). If this bothers you, if you are under-aged, there is a button at the top of your screen that stands for BACK. I suggest you use it.
Disclaimer: This is a non-profit, amateur effort not intended to infringe on the rights of any copyright holder. Characters belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 10 - Compensation
:: Flash Grenade. Rank Four. Grade Deku. Count - Four ::
Link stared blankly at the crate of ammunition. His throat felt dry, itchy, and irritated.
"Details?" he croaked.
:: Flash Grenade. Upon impact against a solid object or detonated otherwise, releases a powerful flash of light capable of blinding all within a five meter radius. Also releases a weak, electromagnetic charge capable of scrambling communications briefly :: Navi replied from his shoulder.
The four small bronze colored spheres decorated with two blue crisscrossing patterns twinkled up at him. On each sphere a tiny red bulb flashed once every few seconds, notifying him that they were still functional. With the utmost trepidation, Link picked up the Flash Grenades and placed them into an anti-security scanner pouch. That left eight spheres and a pouch still inside the crate on the table in front of him.
:: Electro-Magnetic Pulse Bombs. Rank Five. Grade Chu. Count - Three. Capable of temporarily disabling all electrical devices within a 20 meter radius and possibly destroying computer-run systems within first ten meters of the blast center ::
Link frowned. For something so powerful, they were awfully small. Each EMP bomb fit comfortably in the palm of his hand, spheres just large enough to prevent his fingertips from touching when they closed around it. Nearly every living being in the city was hard-wired with electronic systems.
Silently, the teen swore to his conscience that they would only be used as a very, very last resort, and pocketed the bombs.
:: Dodon Remote Mines. Rank Two. Grade Chu. Count - Five. Tuning DRM to personal frequency . . .
. . . tuning complete. Dodon Remote Mines. Detonate upon your command. Strong enough to blast through two feet of steel. Blast radius estimated to about five meters ::
After a moment of shuffling inside the anti security-scanner pouch, he tucked the last of the portable explosives away.
Next order of business, he thought, payment. His fingers closed around the rough synthetic fabric that held the Gorons' compensation for using up his time to perfect the defenses of their valuables. Or something along those lines. Link had a feeling that zoning out during a long conversation was not the greatest idea he's ever had, but it was too late to worry about it now.
And he needed whatever money they could give him, anyway. Navi's recording extension needed modding. He plucked the sack from the table and untied it. Several sparkling gems half the size of the Flash Grenades fell into his gloved palm.
"What?" He stared.
:: Raw Red Mountain Diamonds, Rubies, and Onyx. Incredibly rare, dangerous after the long manufacturing procedure to convert the rocks into pure Life Powder. Volatile in any state, except gem and jewel form. Price values in current black market vary between twenty to thirty thousand rupees apiece. Raw stones, and Life Powder, currently banned under old Hylian Regulations due to severe safety hazard :: Navi explained quietly into his ear.
It was then that Link noticed the shuffling feet of the other Gorons in the room—not that he couldn't notice, as their shuffling sounded like thunder. The leader with the half beard grinned down at him.
Shortly after Link exited the rejuv-chamber and got dressed, the leader found him. He then learned that the leader's name was Boss. Not because he was the boss, but that his actual given name was Boss. And it fit, kind of.
The half iron, half stony flesh giant grinned his crooked half metal grin, and both of his eyes sparkled at Link through the pollution of the air in the room.
"Do you approve, Brother?" Boss nearly shouted.
"I… Uh," Link stuttered as his eyes were drawn back to the stones. Inwardly he winced at his severe loss for words.
"Surely Brother Link knows the main trade of the Goron clans?" Another Goron asked. The other Gorons murmured their agreement, and confusion.
The teen blinked, breathed, and prayed he wouldn't offend them. "I did…" he started slowly, "but I had no idea of your…"
"Power?"
"Talent?"
"Skill?"
The three other Gorons answered loudly, their voices causing more than just the table to shake. Link nodded eagerly as sweat rolled down his back.
"Yes!" he gasped. "I'm not worthy of these gifts."
Boss clapped his hands together. Link jumped, startled. "Thank you, Brother Link, for your kind words! But we must insist, keep them."
The teen cast a wary glance around the room at the pleasant, if not absolutely terrifying, smiles and beady eyes. With a forced smile and a nod, Link dropped the gems into the sack, and then placed it into the bag with the rest of the explosives. The Gorons each shook a fist into the air, and before Link knew what was happening, he was herded out the door, down the filthy halls, and into a pristine new room.
He spun around. Only Boss had stayed. Link gaped, still at an awful loss for words, when a quiet cough broke the silence behind him.
:: Zelda :: Navi beeped into the room. The teen slowly looked over his shoulder and, sure enough, there she stood with hands hanging limply at her sides and face covered though her eyes were clearly visible. Suddenly a heavy hand patted Link's side, nearly throwing him off his feet.
"Go now, Brother Link, and bring glory to the Rudania tribe!"
Faster than Link could form a coherent response, Boss exited the room. The iron door squealed shut and sent dust out from the metal frame. He stared at the wall with a blank expression, his mind not quite caught up with the events that lead up to that moment.
"Are you all right, Link?" Zelda asked after an awkward pause.
"…I'm fine." Link shrugged. He watched Zelda cross and uncross her arms uncomfortably. After a few more repeats of this nervous gesture, Link sighed and tore off his mask, discarding it to the ground without much care.
"Are we leaving?" he croaked.
She paused, arms in the midst of crossing over her chest, and nodded. "I had arranged a transport t—"
"No," Link interrupted roughly as he walked across the room. He passed her, yanked open the only other door in the room, and reeled back in surprise as a burst of cool, clean air hit him square in the face. His eyes watered and his nose twitched as he realized he smelled salt on the breeze.
"What?" he whispered, more to himself than the other person in the room.
The sky was still blocked by the Upper Level's intricate network of pipes, steel, titanium, and concrete embedded together as a false ceiling; but instead of the separated section blocks of divided Living Spaces and Community Resources, he saw a maze of tunnels, walls, and enormous metal crates stacked nearly as high as the false ceiling. A breeze hit him again, and the scent of fish assaulted his senses. Link braced himself against the door as the tingling began, one arm wrapped around his waist. Then he bent forward and sneezed.
"Goddess bless," Zelda murmured behind him.
Link grunted and moved aside, holding the door open for her. He glanced down her backside as she stepped through, briefly considered the guilt that stemmed from ogling her behind, and then followed. The door swung closed on its own.
He jogged up to walk by her side. Part of him focused on the dark path they followed to Port Hylia, while the other part of him was still left faintly confused.
"How?" he asked, suddenly aware of just how badly he needed to actually drink some water.
"You were gone for nearly two days," she replied with eyes glued to the tunnel they approached. "The vehicles used by the Rudania Clan left tracks that could be picked up with ultra-light equipment. I eventually found you."
Link stayed silent, listening to the screech and hiss of machinery echoing in the distance. He noted the cranes that maneuvered the enormous metal crates of fish—the first sign that they skirted dangerously close to Zora territory—and the teen didn't like it. Not one bit.
"My father is a friend to the Rudania," she continued. "I managed to gain access to witness the fights held in The Pit—"
His hand snapped up in the air, effectively silencing her, and said: "I don't want to know."
They passed through the tunnel entrance and found themselves in the dimly lit cavern. Their boots echoed eerily in the darkness, bouncing against the high walls and damp floor.
"But—"
"Just…" Link shook his head. "Where are we going?"
"We are meet up with an informant inside Section One-Oh-Two. Before the Gorons chased us down in Windfish, I was about to explain how we are to take down the leader of Gerudo Corp."
"And?" Link slowly waved Navi around, the semi-powerful LED flashlight activated.
"If we take down the central core system, it will leave the Nano-Viral Program vulnerable," she replied and kicked a stray can to the side. It bounced off, outside the edge of Navi's beam.
"Impossible," Link murmured. "I've seen the code. Impenetrable."
"No." Zelda spoke with conviction and grabbed Link's arm roughly. He stopped to stare at her.
"No," she repeated, eyes wild. "There is a way. A master virus. M-Sword."
The teen stared at her. Inside, he debated over a suitable response, but deep down he knew that nothing was truly impossible with the right amount of rupees and programming power, yet…
Link's sensitive ears twitched. He turned to look behind them and stared into the dark. The entrance was already a small white hole in the distance, and Navi's light did little to help. He frowned.
"Hm." He started walking in the opposite direction of the phantom noise. Though he didn't see anything worrisome, his instincts just couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Or followed. "Let's just keep moving."
