Viewgeta: IT'S OVER 9000!
(Whoever gets this gets plus points)
Chapter 11: The Hunt
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Monday, Bork High
Hiccup POV.
It's been two day's since I fought the Gronkle at the docks. Hammond, the guy who helped me back in the docks, saved my life even, came to school like normal, although a bit more giddy than I've seen before. In other news, most of my body, especially my arm was all shades of black, blue and sore like hell from the beating I gave, and received last night.
And to add insult to very large injuries, the Gronkle was set to be released from police custody later this afternoon, on account of there being "not enough evidence" for her to get a conviction. It was even completely denied the fact that the Hellheim's Gate Dragons had a giant as fuck metahuman working for them and she had been put back on the streets where she could do more harm.
That was a big waste of time. If criminals are just going to be thrown back onto the streets only moments after they've been captured, then what's the point of all this. I thought irritated, as I trudged through the halls of the school, my arm sore from being virtually crushed by the Gronkle's superhuman strength and my legs just as sore from all the running, jumping and kicking.
Since the moment I had woken up, I had more time to ponder on the events the night before and one thought plagued my mind.
Am I really cut out for this kind of thing?
I mean, small time guys like the carjackers or the thugs in the dock house I could handle, but the big fish? Nope. The Gronkle had nearly killed me and I was barely able to fight back. She had crushed my arm in several different ways; if I didn't have my metahuman healing power I'd have lost my arm. I was lucky Hammond came by and used his… what did Toothless say again? Oh right matter reconstruction.
"It was Matter reconstruction. I took a scan of the images from your cowl, Hammond was able to break down and reapply subatomic particles as well as break up the molecular structure of elements and rearrange them. Basically he can do anything he wants with matter. I'm still working on an explanation on how he can fly though…" He said as he was patching me up back at the Cove.
Comparing myself to the army of criminals and group of metahuman powerhouses, plus the one who happens to be my classmate, I'm just a pathetic mosquito trying to suck all the blood out of an ogre.
I had just made it to my locker and began unloading my stuff very slowly as having trouble doing it with just one arm when I felt a presence to my left. When I looked to see who it was, my heart flew all the way to my throat and I nervously stuttered.
"U-U-Umm, A-Astrid! Hey Astrid! Hi ya Astrid!" I said, trying to act as casual as possible, but I was shaking like a Chihuahua and could barely form a coherent sentence.
"Hakon, are you ok? You look hurt." She asked and I nervously held my arm closer to my body.
"What? I-I'm fine, fit as a fiddle!" I said, trying to be cool by lifting my arms into the air, but a pain shot through my arm and I was forced to bring it down close to my body.
"Ow!"
"You are hurt. Here, let me see." Astrid said, coming closer to me. I turned red as a tomato as she gently held my arm in her bandaged hands and tenderly rolled up the sleeve of my hoodie. I expected a gasp or at least a sign of alarm from her, but she remained cool and collected as she looked at the massive bruise that was my left arm.
"What happened here? Your arm looks like it was smashed by a garbage compactor." She said, carefully poking the black and blue flesh, inciting a gasp of pain from me.
"I-It's nothing. It'll be better soon, I heal pretty fast for a guy like me." I said, remembering the Sunday night I had my arm nearly turned to fine powder by the Gronkle.
"No it's not. We're going to the nurse's office before class starts." She said, grabbing me by my good arm and attempting to drag me away. I removed myself from her grip and she looked at me in agitation.
"It's really nothing Astrid, you don't need to miss class for me. I just… umm… fell down some stairs." I said. As much as I loved Astrid showing genuine concern over me, this was a harrowing situation. If more people were to see my bruises, questions would be raised. And if a certain someone were to see my arm, there's a chance he'd connect me to the Night Fury and my vigilante career would be blown out of the water before it even started. So, I used that dummy excuse to try and run from the situation, but Astrid wouldn't buy it.
"No Hakon, you're coming with me to the nurse's office and that's final." She demanded, trying to grab me by my good arm once more, but I shifted my way out of her reach. Now, this situation might have ended with Astrid getting frustrated enough and (as much as I hate to say it) leave me alone, if not for the surprise appearance of a wild Hammond.
"Am I interrupting something?" He asked, coming up from behind me.
"His arm. He won't let me take him to the nurse's office." Said Astrid, blatantly pointing to my injured arm, which I tried to hide from Hammond's view.
"His ar- woah! It looks like a garbage compactor smashed you! We are definitely taking you to the nurse's office!" He exclaimed
"Umm, she used that metaphor already and really guys, you don't need to do this, I just fell down some stairs, that's all." I said. Ok, worst-case scenario has arrived, but it doesn't look like he's connected the dots yet so I'll play it cool then run for the hills.
"Fell down some stairs my ass, this is serious Hiccup! Wait, it was Stuart wasn't it? Did he do this to get revenge for me punching him out yesterday? Oh man, I'm so sorry Hiccup, but don't worry, I'll take care of that pompous…" I stopped Hammond before he could finish that sentence.
"No, Hammond, it wasn't Snotlout, really, it wasn't. I just… had a rough night." I said, but before they could respond, I rushed off to class. When I got to class, I immediately slumped down into my chair, hating and mentally scolding myself.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I just pushed away Hammond, the first guy who's been nice to me in a while and also a pretty strong metahuman. And Astrid, the only time I can remember her showing concern for me, I completely ran like an idiot! I thought as class began. I averted the gaze of Astrid, who was in first period with me; from what I could see, she looked genuinely concerned and I smashed my head on my desk, softly so it was only I who heard a quiet bang on the tabletop.
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Lunch
Hiccup POV.
It wasn't easy, but the whole day consisted of dodging question after question from Hammond and a surprisingly concerned Astrid. She's never shown this much concern over me before, hell, she's never shown so much attention to me before, why now? Maybe becoming a metahuman also brings girls closer to me?
I doubt it.
But it was happening and I couldn't argue. However I could be a complete idiot and do what she's done to me for years: ignore her and hope she goes away. Gods why am I doing this? Oh yeah, secret identity.
So here I was sitting at the lunchroom corner table, minding my own business when out of nowhere, Hammond pops up and sits directly in front of me. I try to avoid his piercing gaze, but just like his mother his eyes burned right through my very soul, so I couldn't resist reacting to his presence.
"Umm, so, I kind of met your mother." I said, trying to act as casual as possible. Hammond actually seemed interested as he raised his eyebrow.
"Really? You get scared?"
"She tased a guy in front of me and threatened an entire room full of dirty cops with a desert eagle." I said and Hammond smirked.
"Heh, yup, that's definitely my mother." Laughed Hammond. The happy mood left as soon as it came and we were back to the awkward silence.
"Hakon…"
"It wasn't Snotlout. Really Hammond, it wasn't, I just…" I said, trailing off. What could I say? I was a terrible liar and I couldn't let him notice my injuries correlated with the Night Fury's.
"No, no, no, I know that it wasn't Snotlout. I've got a different question to ask."
"Oh, ok. Well then, fire away." Hammond's face darkened a bit, showing more reluctance then necessary.
"Hakon… how's your life at home?"
Oh. So this is where the conversation is going.
"My home life is fine, thank you very much. And my dad is not abusive." I exclaimed. Hammond looked both regretful and pitying as he continued to speak.
"Hakon, I know that he's your only family but if something is happening to you, you don't have to hide it. My mother is in Internal Affairs at the police department, she can protect you if you need it." I placed my hands on his shoulders and looked straight into his eyes, just to get my point across.
"Hammond. My dad is a lot of things, but a bad person isn't one of them; he'd rather shoot himself in the leg than lay a hand on someone who doesn't deserve it. Besides, he isn't home most of the week anyways." I said, murmuring the last sentence. I returned to my seat and continued to enjoy my lunch.
More awkward silence between us, and then:
"Sorry Hakon, I should've got my facts straight first. If you really don't wanna talk about it, I'll stop bothering you." Hammond said, rising from his seat, but I stood up and held him by the shoulder with my good arm.
"No, it's alright. I appreciate your concern, I really do. Its just… there's a lot of things going on right now that I can't let people know about. I hope you understand." I meant most of what I said, and not all of it was a lie so I didn't feel bad about not telling Hammond the truth.
He looked skeptical for half a second, and then an understanding look came over him as he sat back down.
"Yeah, alright. I'll try to sweep this under the rug for now, but if you come to school missing a leg I am so telling my mother." Hammond said with a chuckle. I laughed as well; the thought of me walking around with a peg leg was pretty ridiculous.
"Heh, be my guest." I replied, finally breaking the tension around us.
"Hey Hakon, I'm gonna get some food; I'll be back in a flash." Hammond smiled standing to leave, when I once again called for his attention.
"Hey Hammond!"
"Yeah?"
"Umm…" I hesitated for a moment and Hammond raised an eyebrow.
"You… You don't have to call me Hakon. We're friends right, so call me Hiccup." Hammond grinned like a mad idiot.
"Sure thing Hiccup."
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Earlier, Commissioner's Office
No POV.
Outside the office of commissioner Old Wrinkly Davis, officers, secretaries and the general vicinity of the police department's main office could hear the sounds of angry roaring from one beast of a man, Mogadon the Meathead.
"… and Stephen?! He looks at the money like it's diseased, then throws it at the dear old padré's face!" shouted Mogadon, slamming his hand on the table of an otherwise disinterested commissioner.
"Gives the entire squad an earful about 'ethical behavior'! Hell, he even put Flass on probation! I'm telling you Walt, he just ain't fitting in."
The commissioner sighed, stroking his long red beard, looking to Mogadon who stared back in ill temper for Stoic's incorruptible morality.
"*Sigh, and I thought we could bring him to our side. Take care of it Mogadon, even the smallest ant, can eventually form a colony big enough to take out the anteaters." Said the commissioner, and Mogadon smiled his true smile, one filled with violence and sadism.
"No problem."
Timeskip
Stoic POV.
In all my life, dealing crooked crooks and crooked cops, I've never wanted to choke the life out of someone as much as I have Mogadon. Well, there is the bastard who killed my wife, but that's another category of hate on it's own. If this were back to the days of our ancestors, the days when Vikings roamed these lands, I'd have had bashed Mogadon's skull in for wanting to be called "uncle Mogadon", and for wrapping his arm around me like we were even relatively friends. Brrr, the very thought of hearing the title "uncle" next to the word "Mogadon" gives me chills.
It was lunch break and I was going out to buy some food in the nearby coffee shop. However, this day was about to get very bad, very fast.
Out of nowhere, a group of men in ski masks came from out of the shadows, wielding baseball bats and wooden planks. I placed my car keys back in my pocket and readied myself for a fight.
"You should watch where you're going lieutenant, a defenseless guy like you would be easy pickings for a bunch of ruffians." Said one of the thugs in false concern. I only glared as one of the masked men handed him a baseball bat, with which he began to pat on his hand.
"You messed with the wrong people lieutenant, now you're gonna have to watch what you do from now on, or this may not end well."
"Hmm, I've got something to say about that meathead. When this is over you should have one of your goons bring you to the veterinarian at the zoo, they'll have no trouble treating a fat gorilla who's been beat black and blue." I retorted and I could see the masked man's eye twitch in anger.
"Funny, but I think your bad case of ethicality deserves a 'special' treatment." With that, one of the masked men jumped off a car roof, trying to land a hit with his baseball bat. I used the briefcase I had with me to deflect the hit and counter attack, sending the first thug flying. Another man came up from behind to try and punch me in the head, but I ducked and pushed him into the car next to me with a well-placed shoulder hit.
"I'm surprised you apes could even pronounce the word 'ethicality'." I jeered. It was man after man trying to pummel me into submission, but I was effectively holding my own.
Ha, these bozos are nothing. I was trained to handle more than this. I thought, smirking, but I was distracted and didn't see the thug I was talking to earlier come from behind me and bashing me with his baseball bat.
Then again, it has been a while.
With me disoriented, the rest of the guys I didn't knock out converged and proceded to beat the crap out of me. I could only lie there and try and block the hits to my head as hit upon hit rained down upon me. I think it was after my lungs were bruised that the hits finally stopped.
I couldn't see it, but I could feel my bones ache and the black and blue spots on my skin appear. The first thug I spoke to dropped his baseball bat in front of me, and I could hear him crack his knuckles.
"Next time, think about where you stick your nose in Stevie." He said and my anger inside me flared like a bonfire.
Mogadon. I thought angrily. Ha, the idiot probably thought I was out cold and couldn't hear him. Oh, that ignorant meathead will get what's coming to him, much sooner than later.
I could hear the patter of several boots moving away from my prone form. As soon as I was sure they were out of earshot, I slowly pulled myself off the garage floor. I picked my keys from my pocket and sank into my car, looking at my battered body in the rearview mirror.
It was like looking at a Picasso, a really beaten, bloody, angry Picasso. I considered turning the ignition and running down Mogadon and his cronies, but I was better than that.
There are other ways to humiliate a meathead.
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Unknown Location
No POV.
The Gronkle was not happy.
She was the opposite of happy; she was very, very angry. Angry that she was stuck into the ground by two wannabe superheroes, and that it took a lot of effort, money and dead meat to get her out of jail.
She was also afraid.
Not afraid of the puny Night Fury or his partner (whom will one day be crushed under her foot). No, she was afraid of explaining this whole shenanigan to her boss.
The Gronkle stepped through the entrance of the Dragon's base, Hellheim's Gate and into the main chamber of the complex where her… associates waited patiently for her to arrive.
"Look who's here…" Spoke a young male voice.
"… the 'Indestructible' Gronkle." Finished a similar sounding voice.
The Gronkle only grunted in response as she kept trudging forward, ignoring the aggravating jeers from the two young men. She already had enough crap to deal with today as it was.
"Hold it." Spoke a gruff, red-haired man, trying to step in front of the Gronkle, but she carried on, ignoring the red-haired man flaring in annoyance.
The Gronkle had finally reached the end of the room, opening the door double doors as gently as she possibly could. She then found herself in another chamber, where a figure shrouded in darkness sat on a black leather throne, legs crossed and hands on the armrests of the throne. Beside the figure sat a petite looking girl, wearing a blue hooded shoulder cape, embroidered with yellow across the edges. She also had on a steel blue shirt and dark grey camouflage pants with a skull emblazoned belt. She looked relatively normal, aside from the fact that on both her forearms, there were hundreds of spikes protruding from them.
The Gronkle audibly gulped before dropping to one knee and bowing her head.
"Queen…" Gronkle said, in an unusually normal voice. The figure in the throne nodded towards the petite girl sitting beside her, who then proceeded to stand up.
"You've got some explaining to do Gronkle." Said the petite girl, in a slightly modified voice.
"IT WAS STUPID PUNY NIGHT FURY! HIM AND FRIEND!" Shouted the Gronkle, standing in defiance. However, she immediately regretted her action as the figure tapped the armrests on the throne in annoyance.
"Remember who you stand before Gronkle. It'd be wise to keep your tone in check." Scolded the petite girl and the Gronkle sank back into her calmer demeanor.
"Sorry Nadder." Muttered the Gronkle and the figure stopped tapping the armrest.
"The queen does not care about your excuses, the only reason you're here is because she had unnecessarily wasted resources that the Dragons would need in the coming events." Scolded the petite girl, now known as the Deadly Nadder, an enforcer of the Dragons.
"Gronkle know, but Night Fury and partner sink Gronkle into floor." Said the Gronkle
"You should have been able to fight them off. You're an enforcer of the Hellheim's Gate Dragons, not some two bit punk hustler."
"But the Night Fury…" Started the Gronkle, but the figure had had enough of this conversation. The figure uncrossed her legs, slamming a red high-heeled shoe onto the ground. The entire room fell silent as the figure rose from her throne and as her features were no longer shrouded in darkness, the Gronkle and Nadder shrunk away.
To say she was stunning would be an understatement; the woman who the Gronkle referred to as "queen" was pale skinned, smooth and free from any blemish or marks, save for a prominent scar adorning the left side of her jaw. She was also tall, maybe six feet tall or higher without her deep red heels. She wore a backless red dress, aside from the fabric wrapped around her shoulder. The dress accentuated every curve on her body and reached all the way to the floor, but it was slit along the side so those in the room could see her leg extending from within.
"Gronkle… I am quite irked by your constant prattling, and you know how I do not like to be irked." Spoke the queen in a silky foreign accent (British).
"Y-Yes queen." Stuttered the Gronkle. The queen elegantly strode to the Gronkle as the latter tried to look as small as possible in front of the queen (which was very hard considering her size)
"Oh Melanie. I know talking isn't you're finest quality…" Started the queen, standing right in front of the Gronkle. Suddenly, the queen raised her hand and backhanded the Gronkle. A puff of smoke and a colossal shadow later, the Gronkle was flying across the room, impacting the walls and she would have gone through them if they weren't reinforced to withstand blows such as this.
"So stick to what you know and do something productive." Said the queen, angrily striding to her throne as the Gronkle ran out of the room as fast as she could.
"Honey, be a dear and have someone clean up that wall, it reeks of incompetence." Ordered the queen and the Nadder nodded.
"I'll get right on that." Said the Nadder calmly, as if the events earlier didn't even happen.
"Right. Oh and I have a few more things for you to do. We need to be more… ruthless."
"My queen?"
"You heard me. I may not have said it, but this 'Night Fury' character presents a problem to our organization." The queen crossed her legs and began tapping the armrests on her throne.
"How so?"
"If one man had the gall to take us on, who's to say more won't follow in his example and begin weeding out our operations."
"What will you have me do?" Asked the Nadder and the queen smiled.
"Speed up our agenda. Completely solidify our hold on this city before we leave it for good. I want all the 'rivals' in this city within our ranks, or dead at my feet." Said the queen and the Nadder nodded.
"What about the Night Fury?"
"Oh right, that nuisance. Place more of our people on alert for any flying rodents. He'll be dead within the week."
Yes my queen." Saluted the Nadder. With that, the Deadly Nadder left the room, leaving the queen to her own devices.
The queen lounged back on her throne, with only the sound of her thoughts to keep her company.
This Night Fury poses a problem, but he is but a minor hindrance for the plan, the plebian criminals can take care of him. This city will be mine before the year's end. And if anyone stands in my way, they will be hunted down and exterminated like the vermin they are.
So declares the Red Death.
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