The Both Of Us | Zelink X The Last Of Us

Chapter Forty-Six

Link's pov

You're going to die like this. All alone. It's what you deserve after all.

"No..." I groan.

She'll be better off without you anyway. You only know pain. Is that what you wanted to give her?

"S...stop."

"Who are you talking to?" I roll my hanging head to the side to look at my guard. He's scared of me. He clutches his gun to his chest like it's going to save him if I get out. He's scared of me.

"Fuck you," I force out, smiling with my bloody teeth.

She's probably glad you're going to die. Why would she want someone so broken?

I squeeze my eyes shut and let my head go limp again. I can't get stuck in my mind right now. I don't want to die here.

But you will.

I'd rather die trying to get out than help them make a fucking vaccine. I can put a bullet in my head if I have to. Damage this precious brain of mine.

You'll still be dead. You'll still lose her.

"Shut up," I mutter.

"Who the hell are you talking to?" my guard demands again.

"The little voice in my head," I laugh without looking up. My rib feels broken. It hurts to laugh. But I do it anyway. It doesn't matter if it hurts. It won't hurt for much longer.

"Fucking lunatic."

I keep laughing. "Everyone has a voice in their head, you dumbass. It's called thinking." It's only sometimes that there's more than one. It'll be Dad or Mom. Sometimes Aryll. Now there's Impa too. They mock me with their voices, forcing me to remember how I failed. I guess I'll see them all soon though.

I force my head up again when the door unlocks. Two women come in: a soldier and one holding a bowl. Drool fills my mouth at the smell of food. I'm starving.

The guard moves behind me to unlock my cuffs. They have a set on each side. It's fucking hilarious how scared they are.

He grabs my right wrist and I laugh. "I'm left-handed."

He unlocks my right cuff anyway. "Good."

"Don't worry. I still know how to kill with my right. It just won't be as painless."

"You're not going to hurt anyone."

"We'll see." I grin. I want to make it painful for all of them. I want to watch them bleed.

The other soldier brings the bowl over while the woman who brought it scurries out. I wouldn't have hurt her. She brought me food.

"Hurry up," the soldier says while holding the steaming bowl out to me. It's just broth. Better than nothing. I take the bowl and bring it up to my mouth, letting the hot liquid scald my throat as I swallow. If he's feeding me, he's not going to kill me just yet. I still have time. And my hand is free right now. All I need is one hand.

I finish the broth and hold the bowl back out to the soldier with a smile playing on my busted lips. Once she reaches for it, I throw it at the other soldier's head and grab her hand, yanking her forward. I let my teeth sink into her palm to give me enough time to grab her knife. Her blood tastes good.

"I need backup!" the man screams into his radio when I thrust my knife into the woman's stomach. I twist it, grinning up at her as she gasps. They said I wouldn't hurt anyone. Oh how wrong they were. I'll keep hurting them until they kill me.

I saw the bloody blade against the binds around my ankles. It's not cutting fast enough. I look up just before I'm hit in the head with the butt of a rifle. I'm in too much pain to feel it. I try to stab him but I'm dizzy and I miss.

"You...fucker," I slur when the knife is wrenched from my hand. The floor under me tilts and I slump forward. If I'm going to die, I'd rather die right now. I don't want to lose her. I wish I could say bye.

Someone grabs under my chin and forces my head up. Ganon.

"Give it up already," he seethes. "It'll be easier if you stop fighting.'

My bottom lip splits more when I smile. "You...you'd have better chances taming the devil." I can't give up yet. I still want to see her.

"I don't think this is very far off." He punches my mouth. Blood flows around my tongue and down my throat. I choke on it, coughing it up and spitting it out. I've been beat up worse. But I've never been so weak. They need me to be weak.

"Just let me...see her."

"Unfortunately for you, you won't get to see her again." Fucking Rhoam. He's standing here smug while his injured soldier is being carried out. "You see, she thinks you left."

"She knows I'd never leave her," I growl. It's getting harder and harder to stay awake. I want to let myself slip away. It'd be easier. So much easier.

"Her tears seemed quite real to me. Maybe you don't know her as well as you thought you did."

"Son of a bitch," I pant, closing my eyes so I don't have to watch the room spin. She thinks I left her here. I'm going to die with her thinking I don't love her when she's the one who keeps me going. She's all I have.

"You'll serve your last purpose and she'll go on living without you. She'll realize she never needed you.

Are you really going to give up that easily? Look at you. Weak. Pathetic.

Shut the fuck up.

"She knows I love her."

Rest now. Fight later. Giving up is weak.

She knows I love her. She has to.

I give in to the exhaustion. I'll find a way.

She's the one I live for.