Link's voice rose in surprise as he flung open the door, revealing the imposing figure of a Hylian police officer standing in front of his father. "Father? What's going on?!" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and concern.
Afraid for the safety of his children, Ben instinctively turned to them, exposing his fearful and angry expression. He then shouted to them, "You two get back inside, now!"
"Heh, so there they are." The officer said, gazing over at Link and Linda.
"The police?! But... how... did we... do something wrong? No, that can't be..." Link thought.
The police officer, with his brown, slightly spiky hair, swiftly kicked Ben to the ground, eliciting a sharp grunt of pain from him, and Link and Linda letting out a gasp of thunderstruck. "Dad, no!" Link shouted, causing the officer to glance at him again.
As he forcefully placed his right knee on top of Ben's head, he smirked and took out a cigar, lit it, and put it in his mouth; childishly laughing as Ben grunted in pain. "So, you're the one who attacked my boys, huh? Figured, I mean, you are demons, after all."
It was all clear now, the police officer who stood before them was none other than the father of boy Link got into a skirmish with earlier.
Link clenched his fists indignantly at just how unfair it all seemed, taking the blame for something that almost entirely wasn't his fault to begin with. Not only that, but having his own dad be involved in the matter over something so insignificant and undeserving filled him with a rage that was beyond comprehension.
"Devil this, devil that, why can't they just see us as normal people?! I didn't start any of this!" He thought, gritting his teeth in rage.
"Hey! Bastard! Let my father go!" Link demanded, angrily. "Your sons have been bullying me for weeks, why didn't you step in then, huh? Oh, wait, right? Because we're demons, it's perfectly fine for them to harm us, right?! Well whatever, your sons had what was coming to 'em!!!"
"Link..." Linda whispered, softly.
The man took the cigar out of his mouth and threw it onto the ground. "Yeah, sure. You think I'm stupid enough to believe such a fable?" He asked, smirking. "Anyways, save your breath, I'm taking both of you in for arrest."
"What?! Why?!" Link asked, angrily.
"Just doing a little service to the public." He replied, putting the handcuffs on Ben. "Can't have vermins like you keep running around freely."
After attaching the handcuffs on Ben, the police officer began to approach Link and Linda. In response, Link held his right arm out protectively in front of Linda, and firmly warned, "Stay back, Linda."
"O-okay.." Linda replied, her lips quivering in fear as she took a step back. He then took a step foward and glared at the officer with a determined look as he approached the two. Ben watched in worry, struggling to stand on his two feet.
"Why can't you just see that we're normal people?! You're a police officer! What gives you the right to hurt an innocent person?! What, because you have a higher authority over us, you think that gives you the right to hurt us innocents?!" Link bellowed in rage.
"I'm just doing my job kid, it's nothing personal." He said, futher engaging Link.
"Oh, so now you wanna do your job?! After completly ignoring all those missing Hylians and their families?!" Link's voice shrilled through the forest. "You're not fooling anyone, you fraud! You just wanna take out your anger on us because of our last name!"
In response Link's ranting, the officer found himself laughing, leaving Link and Linda stunned and confused. "Well, well, a devil calling me a fraud? How damn surprising. Save your breath for the bars, kid, and your litter sister too."
This was it; the not so shocking realization that there was absolutely no reasoning with this man. In his eyes, he was no different than all the other Hylians in this town. Constantly putting the blame on him for their problems with the mindset that they are always in the right, while he and his family are always in the wrong. He could see that much clearer now witnessing it from a man with higher authority over him.
"Just like his kids... he's using my lineage against me..." Link thought, clenching his fists with bad intentions. "It's always us, isn't it? It's never gonna change. They'll do everything, even using their own authority to make us look bad... Why didn't I see this before? It's so obvious now!"
Then, for a reason unknown to Link himself. He suddenly remembered the picture of an Indian woman he saw in his father's basement years ago. He asked his father about it, but when he did, his father stared at the picture with a distressing look, and stated that he didn't know anything about her.
This sudden memory was completely irrelevant to the current situation, which left Link wondering, "Why am I thinking of that right now?"
He eventually shrugged it off and put his attention back on the officer, who was now within 8 feet away from him and Linda. Link instinctively stepped forward, unleashing a loud battle cry to the officer.
"Stay back, damn it!" He demanded, but the officer ignored and kept walking foward. "Damn it, I said stay back!"
"And just why should I listen to a devil like you?! Huh?!" The officer asked, angrily.
"Pathetic bastard! Take one more step and I'll kill you where you stand!" Link threatened, his voice wavering with fear and anger.
The officer stepped forward without hesitation or intimidation, causing Link to act on his promise and charge at the officer, letting out a loud battle cry. Ben shouted to his son, "Link, don't!" But it was already too late. Link had completely forgotten about his father's words from earlier, and was now charging at the man with rage. The only thing he could do now was watch.
However, despite his best attempt to seem brave and protect his sister, nothing could prevent the police officer from relentlessly beating him down to a pulp. Throwing him onto the ground and kicking him numerous times in the stomach, while Linda watched and screamed in terror. "Please, stop!" She pleaded, tears streaming down her eyes.
The officer ignored her cries, and continued to kick Link as he laughed In a devilish delight. Overwhelming rage filled Link's heart with each kick and cry, even though the very fact that he couldn't do anything about it was right in his face.
Unable to bare the sight of his son being hurt, Ben lifted his head from the dirt and shouted, "Stop it, please! I beg of you! He's just a child! H-he didn't mean it!"
"Like hell he didn't!" The officer shouted back. "I don't even know why I'm surprised, It's all in your cursed blood after all!"
The officer finally stopped his ruthless assault on Link, leaving him a bloody pulp on the brink of unconsciousness. Linda stood frozen, her legs shaking uncontrollably, and her hands covering her mouth in shock.
The officer grabbed Link's arms and cuffed them, Linda fell to her knees and grabbed the officer's left leg, begging him to let her brother go, but Link looked at her intensely in the eye with rage, and demanded, "Linda! Don't you dare kneel to this person! It doesn't matter what he says, the real devil here is him and only him! Not us!"
The police officer smiled and snarkly responded, "Yeah, right."
He then turned to Linda as she stood back up, his stern voice cutting through the air as he said to her, "Don't move an inch. We'll be back for you shortly." Wrenching Link away, he dragged the two of them towards the police station, leaving Linda in a state of shock and tears streaming down her face.
"I couldn't... help them.." She thought, her heart sinking as tears streamed down her face. Suddenly, she heard a voice call out to her. Looking up, she saw the silhouette of a tall figure, and as he moved closer, she gasped in recognition.
To Be Continued!