'Boys' Astrid thought as Hiccup left the house. Hiccup was just about the most confusing and intriguing boy she had ever met. She knew little of him, the gossip circle at school didn't seem to include Hiccup. Except for today of course, when he humiliated Eret. She wasn't quite sure what to make of him yet. But she knew one thing, he was hiding something. It was something about the way he acted, and the circumstances of his recovery. She couldn't put her finger on it.
She didn't really know what to do. She was in Hiccup's house alone. What does one do when left in a strangers house alone? She decided it best to sit on the couch and wait.
About twenty minutes later she heard the front door slam open and in walked none other than he occasional science teacher, Gobber.
"It was stupid and reckless" said Gobber, storming in the house, oblivious to her presence.
"Oh come on, you're over-exaggerating" whined Hiccup "It was fine, I had it under control"
"Is that what you call under control? You could have gotten yourself killed" Gobber's tone was that of a disapproving parent.
Astrid couldn't speak, she couldn't seem to move.
"Except that I didn't, because, as you see, I'm not dead. It's not anything I haven't done before" complained Hiccup
Gobber sighed exasperatedly "Hiccup, you take too many risks –" it was at this point Gobber spotted Astrid, sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the two argue
"Hofferson?" he said slowly
"Shit" added Hiccup "I forgot she was here" he directed at Gobber
"And what is she doing here?" Gobber narrowed his eyes
Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck nervously "School project"
Gobber glared at Hiccup "You and I will finish this conversation later"
Hiccup nodded. Astrid tried to process the unexpected events of the night. Hiccup had apparently done something to nearly get himself killed. Gobber was his father. She didn't know what to make of the new information.
"So" she said awkwardly "Gobber is your dad?"
Hiccup sighed. It was becoming a regular occurrence. He sat heavily down on the opposite end of the couch "No, he's just my guardian" said Hiccup
"Oh" so where were his parents? She didn't think it was appropriate to ask. "What was that about?"
Hiccup groaned and sunk into the chair "Just…work stuff" he said
"Does 'work stuff' usually involve near death experiences?"
Hiccup scoffed "It's always a possibility"
"Huh?"
"I was joking, it was just a freak accident at work"
They ended up doing a fair amount of the assignment, which Astrid was grateful for. Hiccup continued to confuse her. She could blatantly see that he was attractive, but his ego and confidence seemed to be non-existent. But who was she to start thinking about Hiccup. She was a straight A student, she didn't have time for boys.
One hour later they were already a quarter way through the assignment.
Astrid yawned "I think that's enough for tonight" she started to pack her things "I'll text you when we should start doing it again"
Hiccup nodded. He looked exhausted. Like he were about to pass out any second.
"Are you dying?"
"Hmm?" Hiccup groaned "No, no. I'm just tired"
"Well…thanks for agreeing to help. Not that I couldn't have done it by myself" She quickly amended, she couldn't have Hiccup thinking dangerous things like that she needed his help.
Hiccup smiled "Anytime"
"What was that thing with Eret today?" she asked as she zipped up her schoolbag
"What do you mean?" asked Hiccup again. She noticed the way his arm always went to scratch the back of his neck when he was nervous. Kind of like Night Fury. She noticed the shocking green of his eyes. Kind of like Night Fury. But then there was the leg, or lack of one that proved that Hiccup couldn't be Night Fury.
She mentally shook herself "Why did you push him?"
"I was just…having a bad day" he supplied
Astrid nodded. "Well…it's getting late and I have to get home. Tomorrow, Simon Stagg is having a small fundraising gathering. He is one of the most renowned medical minds in the world. And lately he's been researching the affects that meta-humans could have on organ replacement"
"And you want to what? Crash the party?" asked Hiccup sceptically
"No it's an open invitation" she clarified "But we might get some useful quotes or points for the assignment. You in?"
"Yeah, sure. Sounds like it'll be good"
"Oh…" she stopped at the door "It's a suit and tie event. Will that be a problem?"
"No. I've got something I can wear. What time is it?"
"4 o'clock tomorrow. Don't be late, Haddock"
"Wouldn't dream of it" he replied
Hiccup awoke to a blaring alarm. He was surprised that he didn't make a complete fool of himself the night before when Astrid had been over. And all things considered, he's lucky that Gobber had spotted Astrid before they let too much slip. If Gobber hadn't noticed her, he didn't know what he'd do. Lock Astrid in the pipeline, ask her to keep it a secret. There was a news report about six men knocking over a gun store
The next day was school day was surprisingly smooth. He had expected backlash from Eret and his gang, but other than a few less than friendly glares, nothing had happened. He supposed he should be grateful for that. The end of school loomed closer and he was just walking towards the dumpster where he would speed off when something large slammed into him from the side. He was tackled into said dumpster. He gasped and clutched at his bruised ribs.
"Oh Haddock. You knew this was coming" It was Eret, and he was alone.
"Nice to see you too" said Hiccup, getting to his feet
"Shut it. I told you, this is gonna cost you" he reared back his fist but Hiccup dodged easily
"Too slow"
Eret swung and swung again, he didn't even come close to hitting him
Eret grit his teeth "Stay…still" he threw a wild hook and Hiccup moved closer and delivered a swift jab to his ribs that forced Eret to his knees.
Hiccup knelt beside a wheezing Eret "Pull anything like that again, and I won't hold back" he patted Eret on the shoulder before running behind a wall and speeding off.
Hiccup ran straight for home to quickly get his tux. He didn't really see the need to get his Night Fury suit so he left the spare he kept at his house stashed in the bottom of his messy closet.
The trip to the Stagg fundraising party should have taken only a second or two, should have. Hiccup ended up stopping four muggings, saving a woman from jumping off of a building and rescued a kitten from a tree. By the time he arrived at the fundraiser it was 4:03.
"Hiccup" said a voice. He whirled to see Astrid storming towards him. He could only gulp. She looked beautiful. She wore a long pale blue dress and her normally braided hair was set to one side. "You" she glared "Are late" She poked his chest
"Sorry" he croaked
"You should be" she seemed to be examining his apparel. She nodded after a quick sweep. "So you do own a tux"
Just then Simon Stagg, the man they wanted to interview for their paper walked briskly past, followed by a tall black man.
"Mr Stagg" Astrid hurried after him "Can I just ask you a few questions for my paper?"
Stagg smiled apologetically and the tall black man stepped between them "Sorry miss" said the black man
They sauntered off. "I blame this on you Hiccup" she turned on him
He gulped "Sorry"
"That's beginning to sound familiar" she griped
"Maybe you should just change your name to 'Sorry'?" he suggested sarcastically
She scoffed.
A gunshot sounded. Hiccup flinched and turned to see six men aiming pistols at the crowd.
"If you're here" the middle one shouted "Then you have a lot of money. And you brought all your finest jewels and expensive possessions with you. Almost as if you knew we were coming to rob you"
Astrid clenched her teeth and Hiccup held her back with a soft hand on her arm
"Don't" Hiccup whispered
Astrid seemed to relax a fraction.
The men started doing rounds. Hiccup offered up his wallet and phone without a fight. Astrid, however, was less than willing. She handed over her phone and wallet then quickly hid her hand behind her back.
"What's that?" the man asked, looking at Astrid's concealed hand
He lunged out and grabbed her arm, and showed the ring on her middle finger.
"Don't" said Astrid "That ring was my mother's"
"In the bag" he said, aiming the gun at Astrid's head "I said. In…the…bag" he growled
"No" Astrid stared him down
He yanked his arm back and swung it at Astrid. Hiccup quickly raised his hand and caught the arm just before it could strike her.
"Astrid, give him the ring" Hiccup tried to reason with her. Hiccup released the man's arm
"Do what your stupid boyfriend says"
Astrid glared and, reluctantly, took off the ring and threw it in the outstretched bag.
"Good" said the robber. The other five were waiting for the last one at the front of the building.
Hiccup quickly used his super-speed to swipe all of their possessions out of the bag, making extra sure to get Astrid's ring. No-one noticed.
The men left. Hiccup had slipped a tracker onto the man's jumper before he had left. Hiccup didn't really want to chase them down now. There were too many people here that could get hurt. He also didn't have his suit and would more than likely blow his cover.
After they had fled Astrid reeled on Hiccup and slugged him in the arm "Why would you do that?" he assumed she was talking about the ring. Hiccup noticed her face, she was crying, the Astrid Hofferson was crying. "It was my mother's" she sobbed
Hiccup grabbed her hand softly and carefully placed the ring back where it had been. She stared at it, stunned and then looked at him for an explanation.
He smirked "I have quick hands" he shrugged and handed her phone and wallet back to her.
"You…How?" she tumbled over her words
"I took them while he was distracted by you" he explained
"But…the ring?" it came out as a question
"I told you" he shrugged again "I have quick hands"
"Thankyou…Hiccup" she said, and it sounded like she truly meant it
Astrid had avoided Hiccup the next day of school. The men from the robbery had dumped their clothes in a trashcan nearby. There had been residual bits of DNA. Fishlegs was currently trying to identify the genetic markers. At the end of the day Fishlegs rang him.
"Hiccup, Stagg industries is under attack" he said urgently
'Gobber is there' Hiccup thought. Gobber had to go there to interview Stagg about the death of his head of security, which had turned out to be the tall black man from the night before.
"On my way" he said before speeding to Berk labs and grabbing his suit then back to Stagg Industries.
He ran through the building, following the sound of gunshots. He found Gobber, Gobber's partner Harrison Wells, and Stagg, crouched low behind a crate. Six men were firing at them. They looked to be the same build as the men from the robbery. What was more shocking was the fact that they didn't have their masks on, and they were all identical. Gobber shot one of the men. The man fell to the ground, killed instantly. Then something horrifying happened. One of the other men started twitching and a clone split from the original man. It picked up the fallen man's gun and continued firing. This wasn't a crew, it was one man, who could clone himself.
Hiccup quickly rushed the three people out of there. Now it was only him and the 6 robbers.
"What do you want?"
"The only thing I want in life anymore. Simon Stagg dead" the men echoed at the same time and then begun firing. Hiccup dodged and ran forward punching the first one. From the force of the punch two more clones split from the original man.
"Oh come on" moaned Hiccup
A swift jab to his jaw caught him off guard and before he knew it all 6 of the men were wailing on him. He shielded himself as best he could. They stopped suddenly and Hiccup opened his eyes to see them all pointing pistols at him. He ran, he heard the sound of multiple gunshots hitting the spot he had been milliseconds earlier.
"It's a meta-human" said Fishlegs slowly "That can clone himself"
"It would appear so" said Thawne. Thawne was the founder of Berk Labs. He had the full use of his legs before the Particle Accelerator exploded. The same accident that gave Barry his speed, also put Thawne in a wheelchair.
"Gobber was right" said Hiccup "I can't do this, I can barely fight one meta-human, let alone six" Hiccup sighed
"Hiccup, in any grand-enterprise there are pit-falls" said Thawne wisely
"This wasn't a grand enterprise, Dr Thawne. This was a mistake" Hiccup concluded.
Of course Hiccup knew the meta-human Multiplex, as Fishlegs named him, would be back. He showed up at Stagg Industries once more. Multiplex killed the security. Hiccup got the alert from Fishlegs even though he had quit. But it wasn't in Hiccup to let this go. He wouldn't stand idly by. It just took him a while to realise it. They also shared a plan, a theory. That all of the clones have a control. The main man. Take out him, and Hiccup could take out all of the clones, theoretically.
When Hiccup arrived there were six clones about to kill Stagg. He quickly whisked Stagg away and returned.
"You don't need to do this" Hiccup pleaded "Whatever reason you have, Stagg doesn't deserve to die"
Multiplex snarled in anger and began producing clones at an alarming rate, there must have been hundreds. Hiccup ran and hid. The clones started patrolling. Hiccup picked them off one by one.
"You don't know what he's done" said a clone nearby
Hiccup knocked him out. "He stole my research on organ replacement"
Hiccup knocked that clone out "Just because he stole your research doesn't give you the right to murder"
"This isn't about my research, it's about Emily, my wife." Hiccup incapacitated the clone
"She was dying, she needed a new heart. She'd been on the transplant list for years but she was running out of time"
"You were going to grow her a knew heart" stated Hiccup, realization hitting him
The clone nodded "I was so close, until Stagg stole my research. So he could reap the rewards, and I got to bury my best friend" Hiccup knocked the closest clone out. He turned and saw what must have been the control. It was spilling more clones by the dozens. It must be taking a toll on him, controlling all of them. That's when Hiccup realised.
He ran for Multiplex and spotted it, a single clone with a single bead of sweat dripping down its cheek. Hiccup sprinted and slammed Multiplex into the nearest wall. All of the clones dropped.
"I did it" Hiccup was surprised at his own victory "It's done"
Multiplex suddenly stood and ran at Hiccup, Hiccup dodged. Multiplex stumbled and fell through the second story window. He ran over and caught his arm before Multiplex could fall. He wasn't going to let this man die
Multiplex screamed "NO!" a second hand started growing from the arm that Hiccup held onto. It grabbed Hiccup's wrist and started to pry it loose
"Don't" he pleaded
But it was too late, Multiplex managed to wiggle himself out of Hiccup's grip and fell to his death.
Stagg was amazed to say the least. He had heard the extraordinary tales of Night Fury's heroics. But to actually see it, to be a part of it.
Eobard Thawne wheeled into Stagg's office. "Eobard" Stagg said in surprise "How did you get in here?"
Eobard tutted "You having a party down there?" asked Thawne
"In case you haven't heard a former employee of mine tried to kill me"
"A man who can move at super-speed, faced off against a man who can multiply at will"
"So you know he was here?" asked Stagg excitedly "The things he can do. It's like the gods of old. Like Mercury walking among us. The Night Fury, I'm gonna be the one to get him" he boasted
Eobard shook his head "Well. I am sorry to hear that, because…" Eobard stood up
"What the…" was all Stagg could say before Thawne plunged a knife into his chest
"I worry you will think this is personal. It's not, it's just that the Night Fury, the fastest man alive. He must be kept safe" Eobard removed the knife and Stagg fell to the floor, dead.