Security.

No Man Left Behind.

Zelda tried her best to stay as quiet as possible but she was sure that her pounding heart could be heard for miles around. Link was a lot calmer even though he was also terrified when they finally stepped out the security headquarters.

Zelda stuck close to him, clinging to him like a life jacket at sea. Her hands clinged to his hips, bunching up his suit jacket nervously. She knew she didn't need to actually clung onto him but it gave her a strange comfort to know he was close, even if it was closer than she was used to.

Link didn't mind either, it kept reminding him that Zelda was safe with him, she was just behind him. And if it made her feel calmer to hold onto him, he would gladly accept it.

Link lead the way down the deserted corridors, the blade in one hand and his phone in the other so he could continuously check the cameras. Most of the corridors they were going down had their lights off as it was clear the assassins hadn't been there yet which was a good sign but it meant that if they were suddenly ambushed, they would be in the dark.

Link had not been entirely honest with Zelda. The route they were taking to the generator room was not the shortest route which was clear. However, the shortest route would take them past many dead bodies of Link's security guards. As much as Link wanted Zelda to be safe and sound as quickly as possible, he knew she would lose all sense of calm when she saw the bodies. He knew she hated violence and he knew she always felt guilty when one of her security guards were harmed so she would be distraught if she saw them dead now.

As they continued to creep around the Palace, Link saw on his phone that they were coming up on a problem. One of the rooms they had to pass had a group of six soldiers waiting in it. They looked like they were bored as they were sat around, obviously not expecting an attack at this part of the Palace.

Even taking them unawares was risky. Link had easily taken down the two soldiers in the security headquarters because he could sneak up on them and got close enough to take them both out quickly. But even with his skills, it would be unlikely we would be able to overpower six heavily armed guards by himself, at least not without injury.

But he had to try, for Zelda's sake.

"Zelda, I need you to stay here," he instructed her quietly as they stopped just by the room full of guards.

"Don't leave me," Zelda sounded panicked at the prospect of being left alone in the dark corridor surrounded by assassins, "Please!"

Link hated to see her so vulnerable and panicked but he had to do it. Though she protested, Link pryed Zelda's hands away from his hips.

"Take my phone," he said, handing it over to her, "I need to deal with those soldiers, but if I... If I don't make it, you need to keep going, get to the generator room and call for the army, the radio frequency is in my phone. And listen to me, if you need to fight your way past soldiers, use the handgun I gave you. I know you hate violence but don't you dare let them harm you! You shoot them, you got that?"

Despite herself, a single tear rolled down her cheek at what he was saying. She didn't want to go on alone but Link shot her a glare which meant he wasn't going to take no as an answer. She half-heartedly nodded her head as Link took out his knuckle buster blade again and slipped it onto his fist.

"Hey, I'll be right around the corner," Link sighed when he saw the tear.

Though he knew it probably wasn't necessary, he leaned forward and gave her a small but comforting kiss on the forehead before he turned and headed slowly towards the room.

Zelda couldn't bring herself to look at the phone to see what was going on in the room. She kept looking up and down the dark corridor, afraid that at any moment, something would jump out at her and she would be without Link to help her.

Shouts could be heard from the room among other things like the sound of punches kicks and bones breaking. Blades were being swung as well from the sounds of whistling like metal cutting through air. Grunts of pain were mixed together and to her horror, a load of them sounded like Link.

The few minutes that passed felt like hours before silence finally fell. Zelda waited in agony, too scared to check the cameras in case she saw Link's mutilated corpse in full view.

"Zelda..." Came a strained whimper from the room.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed in both relief and worry at the sound of his voice as she all but sprinted into the room.

Unlike the previous guards she had seen die, Zelda didn't give their bodies a second glance, nor did she even had the time to gag at all the blood over the floor. Instead, her gaze was drawn towards the middle of the room where Link was laying, proped up on one elbow and one hand over a gaping wound which was oozing blood.

"Oh my Hylia!" Zelda chocked back a sob as she ran up to him, kneeling down by his side to help him.

"You have to keep going!" Link demanded, trying to swat her hands away so she could leave him.

"I'm not leaving you like this!" Zelda shot back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders so she could drag him towards the nearest sofa and help him onto it.

His white button up shirt was nearly completely soaked in blood and the hand Link was using to try and hold the wound together was also covered in it. Zelda tried her best to focus on the task at hand and not think about the fact Link could die any minute now.

Zelda had to coach Link into letting go of his wound momentarily as she peeled his shirt up and away from it. He bit his lip in pain, trying not to shout out in pain and not bring any more soldiers on them.

Zelda had tears in her eyes as she looked down at the wound, a deep gash which stretched from his lower stomach to his side. It didn't look good at all but Zelda couldn't just give up. As much as she hated seeing Link in pain, she had to try and patch him up, she couldn't bare to see him die.

Her own hands now coated in blood from where she had tried to examine the gash, Zelda pulled off her own jacket and began to rip the sleeve using the blade on the floor left by one of the assassins. She cut it as best she could in one long strip to act as bandages. It wouldn't be ideal but she would be damned before she let Link die.

He winced in pain as she started to wrap his middle with the makeshift bandages. Zelda knew that every minute they spent in this room, the soldiers would still be searching for her but she didn't care in that moment, she would stay as long as it took for her to bandage Link up and help him.

At last, she tucked the last strand of the fabric around him. It wasn't the best and she doubted it would take long for them to be soaked again but it would do for now. Link was no longer whimpering in pain and he was beginning to calm which was a good sign.

"I'll help you to stand," Zelda finally found her voice as she wrapped an arm around his middle, making sure to avoid the wound, and helped him up to his feet.

He wobbled at first but he flung his arm around her shoulder and steadied himself.

"Thank you," his voice was hoarse but sincere.

In response, Zelda gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and a warm smile before they turned in the direction of the generator room.

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