Hi, So this is my version of a HTTYD AU. It takes place in modern times, but not our world. I am keeping lots of the story the same, even most of the dialogue. But this story is how I imagine the story. Some things are very different. If anything it is like I took HTTYD and comic books and combined them. I will write from here on out in my own voice at the bottom, but I figured that I would put something here for the first chapter.

This, is Berk. It's twelve days north of hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to death. It's located solidly on the pacific coast. My city, Berk. In a word; sturdy. And it's been here for three generations, but every single building is new. We have fishing, skiing, wide open forests, and a charming view of the sunsets.

The only problems are the pests. You see, most places have gamma irradiated monsters or aliens.

It was a dark night, the first day the world was changed. People in cars drove rapidly to get to their homes, wary of the night skies that hid the world. On every corner, by almost every door, stood watch full men and women, all armed to the teeth. The first night the world changed, and it was peaceful for a while.

Until the sky was lit in fire. As people began to rush about, the ones who were armed trained their weapons to the sky. In all the destruction, the few people who held their wits shouted at the small but lanky figure that was me, as I blatantly headed the wrong way.

Most people would leave. Not us. We're Americans who migrated from a little island in the nation of Vikings. We have stubbornness issues.

My name's Hiccup. Great name, I know. It's a famliy name.

"Blast you, Hiccup! You're going the wrong way!" Shouted one stranger, as I slipped between the large figures, completely intent on getting to a nondescript building. A sudden hand grabbed my coat, and a voice yelled by my ear

"What is he doing... Hiccup, what are you doing here?" shouted the voice, "Get inside!"

That's Stoick the Vast. He ran the city, balancing the old county mindsets with American resolve. They say that when he was a baby he popped a Dragon's head clean off of its shoulders. Do I believe it? Yes I do.

I rushed in to the building that I had been heading for in the first place, dodging a short blast of fire from above.

As I headed in, I heard the reports on the dragons that were attacking.

"...a couple of Nadders, half a dozen gronkles, and Hork says he saw a nightmare over on fifth." proclaimed a warrior, as he reported to Stoick.

"Any Night furys?" Shouted Stoick, as he took a swing at a passing dragon.

"None so far."

"Yer late Hiccup." Said the man behind the counter, as he lowered the crossbow that he had had leveled at my head "I thought ye had been carried off" He grabbed his shiny metal hammer and attached it to his false hand.

The meathead with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I had been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well...littler.

"Come on, Gobber. Those dragons wouldn't know what to do with all this." I flexed my thin arms, then nearly fell under the weight of the amo clips tossed at me by Gobber.

"Well, they need toothpicks." Gobber lifted the blast door covering the shop, and started grabbing the empty cartridges handed to him, trading them for fresh ammo. As he turned back, a large cloud of fire burst forth from the building across the street.

See. Some old house, far more new houses.

As I recollected my hearing, I saw the other teens rush towards the fire with a hose and buckets.

First went Steve, but everyone called him Snotlout. Then there was the twins, Rachel "Roughnut" and Ted "Toughnut". Fishlegs, his actual name no less, followed far behind them. But the best and most important...

"Astrid!" Shouted Stoick "We need you all down on fifth. Reports of a Nightmare are coming in!"

I leaned out of the window to get a better look at her as she was leaving.

"Oy! Get back in here!" Gobber's hook latched onto my jacket, and dragged me back into the shop.

"Oh come on Gobber! Let me out. I need to make my mark." I cried.

"Ye've made plenty of marks, all in the wrong places." snorted Gobber

"Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon. My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date!"

Gobber glared "You can't swing a axe, you can't hold a dragon rifle... You can't even throw a grenaid properly!" He tossed a grenaid to a waiting fighter, who yanked the pin out and threw it at a passing dragon.

"Ah, but this will throw it for me!" I said with pride, as I patted the dangerous grenaid launcher, which naturally chose that moment to launch the test grenaid I had rigged up. It flew through the air and slammed into the unsuspecting warrior at the door. He picked it up, screamed, and threw it at a passing dragon.

"See! This is what I am talking about!" bellowed Gobber.

"Mild calibration issue." I yelped, as I hooked the loose wire back into place.

"Hiccup. If ye ever wan to get out there to fight dragons, ye need t stop all... this." grumbled Gobber, as he started grabbing various weapons off the shelves.

Confused, I said "But... you just pointed to all of me."

"Yes! That's it! Stop being all of you" he said cheerfully, as he started lumping all of the dulled blades for chopping wings and tails.

I admit, it took a second for his meaning to dawn on me. "You, sir, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much, raw... potential dragon fighter power contained. There will be consequences!"

Gobber was unimpressed "I'll take my chances. Swords. Sharpen. Now.

I knew that one day, I'd get out there. Because killing a dragon was everything around here. A Nadder head was sure to get me at least noticed. Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would've definitely gotten me a girlfriend. A Zippelback? Exotic. Two heads, twice the status.

Outside, I heard one person run up to Stoick.

"They found the bloody sheep!" He shouted.

Stoick cursed, then ordered "Concentrate fire over the farms!"

"It's the Nightmare!" Shouted a woman, as she ripped through a barricade in her car.

And then there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings went after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire.

Stoick glared at the dragon, then turned to the catapult operator. "Reload! I'll take care of this."

But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one had ever seen. We call it the...

A massive blast shook the whole building, as the catapult nearest to the shop was blasted to pieces.

"Damn it, it's a NIGHTFURY!"

This thing never took food, never showed itself, and...never misses. No one had ever killed a Night Fury. That's why I was going to be the first.

I edited this a bit, improving it.