Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

Seven

     After they heard the sirens wail, tension rippled through the air as the crew members barreled out of the studio. Stevie couldn't see Rhett and Link at first as her eyes scanned the area. Her heart lurched into her throat when she saw the ambulance pull away, as she thought the worst possible thing.  After seconds caught in her dizzy-filled frenzy, she spotted the two tall men and ran toward them. 

     "What happened?" She all but choked, breathless and thankful to see her bosses unharmed. Her eyes fell on the girl that stood with them and she narrowed her eyes slightly.

     Link broke eye contact from the girl and gave Stevie a reassuring smile, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a side hug. "Just me being an idiot. Everything's fine." 

     Rhett gave Link a look, and Link met his eyes. He could see the question in Rhett's eyes that wondered if Link planned on telling the crew what really happened. Link sucked his bottom lip into his mouth.

     "Thank god you guys are okay!" Stevie shuddered with a sigh of relief. 

     "That girl doesn't look okay," Chase pointed out. 

     The girl narrowed her eyes at Chase and pursed her lips. "This girl happens to have a name," she said with a bite in her tone. "Terra." She held her hand out to Chase. Chase grinned a toothy grin and took her hand. He shook it vigorously. Link sucked in a breath, Rhett's eyebrows rocketing up his forehead. "I assume you have a name too?"

     Chase chuckled as he looked at the ground. The tips of his ears reddened slightly. "Chase."

     Terra smiled, then her eyes fell on her shirt. She grimaced and shook her head with disgust. "I seriously have to do something about this shirt." 

     Chase's smile faded as he looked over her bloodstained shirt. "So what happened?"

      Link scratched the back of his head. Terra looked at Link with a smirk, it being apparent that she was going to enjoy this. "I was just minding my own business and Link here comes along and hits me with his car. It's okay, though."

     Chase and Stevie both looked at Link incredulously. 

     Rhett stifled a chuckle at the crews' response. "Yeah, it's a new one for him."

     "Gee, thanks guys. I really feel bad about it, you know." Link lowered his eyes as he put on a good act.

     "I know," Terra said. Her smile had faded. "I'll be okay." 

     Link's smile disappeared as well, his heart beat still irregular from the thrill of the incident. In reality, anyone that witnessed what happened didn't know for sure if she was going to be okay. Something that they couldn't explain even with the most thorough of science explanations happened, and it dislocated Link from reality. He clenched and unclenched his fist, just to feel something palpable other than his own uncertainty. 

     Rhett placed a firm hand on Link's shoulder. "You okay?" 

     Link's face was deadpan as he turned to face his best friend. "Yeah. Do you think we could get Terra a shirt and then take her out to lunch like we promised?" 

     Rhett grinned. "Absolutely! Chase, would you do the honors?" 

     Chase beamed. He turned and ran toward the studio. Stevie's eyes were narrowed still as she looked between Rhett and Link.

     "What? It's the least we could do after Link mowed her down," Rhett said defensively. It drew a giggle out of Terra, who also looked like she'd lost her touch from the real world.

     "Mmm, it's not that. Link doesn't seem like himself." Stevie crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't want to explain that she was suspicious of the whole situation, with the girl being covered in so much blood that she could have been in a fist fight with Muhammad Ali. 

     Link lowered his eyes to the ground and swallowed, then he looked up and smiled. "Really, I'm fine. I'm a little shaken up about the bad dream and hitting the poor girl with my car. I'll be okay!" 

     Terra tilted her head to the side. "Bad dream?" 

     Link opened his mouth to tell her that he would explain later when Chase came out with a blue t-shirt. He handed it to Terra with a shy smile on his face. His black beanie he'd been wearing had gone crooked on his head and he fixed it hastily. Terra raised a dainty brow as she took the shirt from him and unfolded it. 

     She looked at the design on the front. Encased in a giant orange flame shooting out of the mouth of what looked like a chicken were the words Good Mythical Morning. She scrutinized the shirt for a few more seconds before looking at the guys. "A fire breathing chicken?" Her tone was incredulous.

     Rhett chuckled. "It's a Cockatrice."

     "A rooster and dragon combined. It's literally a mythical beast," Link added, and he smiled as an afterthought to their genius logo design. They literally referred to their fans as Mythical Beasts. 

     Terra smiled and clutched the shirt tight to her chest. "Thanks, guys. Can I go inside to put it on?" 

     Rhett nodded emphatically and gestured to Stevie. Stevie smiled a tightlipped smile and began to lead Terra inside so she could change shirts. 

     Chase watched after them in silence for a few moments. "Maybe I should go inside and let everyone else know we're wrapping things up for the day."

     "I think that would be a good idea. Link needs some time to recoup," Rhett agreed.

     Link turned on him with an offended look in his eyes. "How many times do I have to say I'm fine?" 

     Chase arched an eyebrow. "When you're acting that defensive, we can't possibly believe you. I mean you had a nightmare on set, hit a girl with your car, and from the looks of it you got a ticket of some sort. Any normal person wouldn't be fine after that." Rhett made a face that indicated Chase had a good point.

     Link lowered his shoulders with defeat. "You know what, you guys are right. All I need is one day and we'll be back at it again tomorrow." Chase grinned and patted Link on the back, then headed back inside. 

☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️

     Rhett and Link stood in silence for a few moments after that. The both of them reveled in the days' events, thankful that nobody was dead. A low rumbling emanated from the western skies, and the two of them craned their necks in that direction. Darkness swept across the sky from one end to the other in festering bubbles, and it grew outward and upward like cumulonimbus clouds. Rhett and Link narrowed their eyes as they watched, their mouths slightly open in alarm.

     "I think we've got a storm coming," Rhett said. Link's heart hiccuped in his chest and he swallowed nervously. The clouds moved at such an alarming rate that he was expecting a funnel to drop from the sky right above them. The dark grey almost black clouds morphed lower to the ground. It took a particularly odd shape that made Link want to scream for his mother. It looked exactly like the tall, brooding, fur covered beast that they'd had an encounter with earlier.

     Rhett took a step backward, then another, and another very slowly. He reached for Link's arm and made contact with the sleeve of his shirt, and he successfully pulled Link backward.

     "Link, we better get inside," Rhett's voice cracked as he continued to look at the menacing sky.