Hearts of Stone (BOTW Modern AU)

Chapter 5

"Adequate protection is required within the labs," Zelda cut through the silence, flicking her long ponytail over her shoulder as she grabbed a white coat off a hook.

She tossed one to him then a pair of safety glasses- both of which he nearly dropped out of surprise. He slipped them on, face heating when he heard Zelda's snickers as he was forced to roll the sleeves of the large jacket.

"Ready?" Zelda asked, not even waiting for a response before sliding her badge over the keypad.

The doors swung open with a mechanical click, a wave of warm air tinted with the scent of metal washing over them. Link followed Zelda in, head swiveling in every direction as he tried to take it in all at once. The sound of machinery hung in the air, complex metal structures, odd bits, and half-finished machines covered every desk- researchers hovering about and jotting notes down on tablets. They didn't offer many glances as the two wove their way further into the maze of tables.

Link stopped to watch two particular scientists, heads close together as they worked meticulously on a small guardian. He snickered when the machine sputtered to life, then fizzled out in a puff of smoke.

Zelda rolled her eyes and pulled him harshly by his elbow, muttering something under her breath that sounded something like 'immature halfwit'. Link ignored her comment with practiced ease, shrugging his arm from her grasp and sending her a cool stare. She returned it evenly, head at an angle.

"We've managed to obtain a power core from one of the Divine Beasts," she told him briskly without missing a beat, "as I'm sure you are aware, we haven't yet been able to control its power."

She gestured to a large workspace where a rectangular box, engraved with pale blue luminous runes. Link wandered over, peeking curiously over the worker's shoulders, raising an eyebrow at the various tools they were prodding the machine with.

"Have you tried the on switch?" He asked jokingly, earning a few laughs from the scientists in the vicinity, though he only got another glare from Zelda. She clearly didn't enjoy his lame attempt at humor.

"We should have a breakthrough within the week- and having these reports analyzed by another lab would help us immensely."

Link nodded, inspecting the cube curiously. It certainly looked like the other ancient Sheikah tech he'd seen, and yet it seemed completely different- more complex in a way. Even from where he stoop he could feel the strange pulses of energy it emitted, each one powerful and mysterious. He reached out a tentative hand to touch a small imperfection on the cube's otherwise smooth detailing. He'd been around the block enough times to know it often took an organic touch to awaken such devices.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zelda snapped at him, grabbing his wrist before he could touch it.

Link silently pointed to the indentation, staring at her with a blank expression.

"You can't just touch it," she hissed, dropping his wrist and glancing almost fearfully to the scientists watching them intently, "we don't know what would happen to you."

"I'm not going to explode if that's what you're worried about," Link drawled, crossing his arms, "It's completely harmless."

"We don't know that for certain," Zelda shot back, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

"Hey, Zel," a Sheikah woman rounded the corner, her long white hair billowing behind her like a cloud, "your dad's on the phone and wants to speak with you," she pointed to the lab's mainline in the back corner.

Zelda frowned, straightened her coat, and gave the woman a quick 'thank you', "I'll be back," she muttered, "Shirin if you'd be so kind and show Link where his signature is needed," she instructed one of the nearby scientists. Then she turned to Link, gaze as icy as ever, "and don't touch anything," she warned.