"Um…" peeped John. "Is anyone else feeling the slightest hint of impending doom right now? Or is it just me?"
The only answer he got was the sound of the lowering lift. "Just me, then…"
The lift lurched to a stop in the center of another circular chamber. Unlike the one just above, this room featured several security doors with the words "KEEP CLEAR" and "AUTHORIZED ACTIVATION ONLY" on them. Red siren-like objects rested on each side of them… and if someone listened closely, they would hear sounds of growling, snorts, and noises of something big stirring from rest.
An immediate reaction from the twins nearly put everyone else on edge. Wide-eyed, frozen in place, and a face that signified a sealed fate. "Oh-no…" muttered John. "Oh-no, oh-no, oh-nonononono, please, no."
"We're dead, we're dead, we're so dead," squeaked Julie. "We're gonna get either roasted to a crisp or find ourselves in a digestive tract. We're-"
"Shut. Up." hissed Dan with a stern expression. "No one is getting eaten and no one is getting badly burned." Hopefully.
"Uh… dare I ask what's behind those doors?" Fred gulped.
"Predators that found themselves prey," came Fiona's response from a loudspeaker. "With our help, they evaded capture from the Bloody Fists or freed themselves from their grasp. Each of them was targeted for different reasons… but one stands out among the rest."
Val turned to one door that- the moment she looked at it- rattled from something charging into it full-force. She flinched. "You said we had to listen," she reminded Fiona, her voice a trying-to-keep-calm tone. "So, what do we have to do to avoid making this an execution ring?"
"Consider this your first lesson: making Hiccup's observations and techniques your own," the voice announced. "The first step: remain calm."
A mechanical whirring filled the room, followed by flashing red lights and an alarm. In front of the group, one of the doors slowly rose upward to reveal only darkness. Darkness that hid something big and scaly within it.
…
Beep.
The dragon cracked open an eye. The electronic lock at the front of the cage clicked, the mechanism released itself, and the door popped open. The sight brought him to full attention and he stood upright. The cage was unlocked. Why was this mysterious person letting him go? There had to be something else going on here. If he was to find out, he had to play along with her.
The Night Fury moved out of the cage, nudging the door open with his snout. As he could see before, everything around him was pitch black, and even his natural night vision could barely make out a thing in here.
Something whirred just in front of him, a crack of light drawing his attention as a literal light in the dark. The crack grew bigger as something big rose from the floor: a big door, he had to guess. Behind it, he heard the sound of alarms instructing any human closeby to stay a good distance away. The dragon could barely see what lay beyond the door, as his eyes still had to adjust to brighter settings.
It was no use to just wait. Even before it finished rising, the dragon walked through the doorway…
…
A black reptilian figure strode out of the gate. Four clawed talons, scales black as night, and violet eyes that had a feline-like feel to them. It surveyed its surroundings in a cautious manner, sniffing the air for anything of importance. Everyone tensed up as the dragon detected a peculiar scent… and landed its eyes on the humans.
A quick yelp of surprise followed by a defensive stance set everyone in another flinch of shock. Dan kept his eyes on the creature, his mind reeling from what he was seeing.
The Shadow… it's real?
"Relax," came Fiona's voice. "He won't hurt you."
"Really?" whispered Dan. "How can you be sure of that?"
"He is afraid. Timid. Cautious. Unsure of what to make of you. I understand you have some unfortunate experiences with his kind… but none of that matters here."
Dan turned his eyes back to the creature… and saw that it, too, was looking at the loudspeaker. The dragon's face was filled with worry and uncertainty, almost similar to the emotions Dan was feeling. It looked like it could… understand Fiona?
"Wait," he found himself blurting out. "Are you talking to me or to him?"
"Why two when it can be a third?" came her answer. "Both of you have some knowledge of the other's race. Survivor."
The dragon looked to the loudspeaker at full attention.
"The group of humans that has hunted you down has also hunted the one you see before you. Don't think of him as just another citizen, however. He carries the blood of someone your kind knows all too well."
The black dragon turned to Dan once more, this time with a look of suspicion. Dan watched its eyes move all around, scanning him like a security camera. And then the eyes became the size of dinner plates.
"You recognize that dragon, don't you? You should, for he is the stuff of legend," Fiona continued. Dan glanced down to his necklace, holding it in one hand. "He was renowned for being the last of his kind… until you. Known to be the most feared creature to man, grounded by the very person who would forge a lifetime bond with him. And today, the modern descendant of that person stands before you. His family is on the verge of extinction: a term you should know all too well."
An uneasy whine came from the animal's throat. It looked to Dan in what seemed to be understanding, its eyes focused on the necklace's symbol. But while the dragon's attention was on the decoration, Dan's was focused on previously-spoken words. "You said he was the last of his kind," he repeated. "Is this true?"
"Unfortunately," the voice replied. "And to one of the most intelligent lifeforms on Earth. The Night Fury is an apex nighttime predator equipped with night vision, natural sonar, stealth expertise, and- unlike most dragons- unique acetylene and oxygen-shaped plasma charges that could topple the mightiest of catapults and capable of killing a man in a single shot. But none of these can rival their greatest ability: their intelligence. Night Furies adapt, learn, remember previously-encountered individuals, plan their moves, and toy with their prey. They are the smartest of the dragons, even able to understand human speech."
"So… not only can he hear you, but he can also know what you're talking about?" Dan summarized.
"Precisely."
"Oooh, freaky," whispered John.
"What happened to them?" asked Val.
"Humans feared them the most out of all the dragons," continued the director. "They gathered little information; hardly any knowledge useful to protect themselves. They called the dragon 'the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself', and believed that if the dragon of the night ever detected you, it was over. The only advice the Book of Dragons could give them? 'Hide and pray that it does not find you.'"
Julie shuddered. "I think I just got goosebumps." She checked her arm.
"When he first encountered the ferocious beast that would soon become his friend, Hiccup attempted to kill it on the spot. But he saw the fear in the animal's eyes and chose to spare it instead. But what if… he didn't?"
Dan swallowed.
"What if he did kill the downed dragon? What if he was hailed a hero for slaying the most feared creature known to Viking-kind? To mankind? What if he was praised so much… he decided to hunt down every last one of the Night Furies?"
The Night Fury tensed up. Dan noticed that the dragon didn't seem to like where this was going. "Uh, your point?"
"Hiccup might not have done so… but Grimmel the Grisly did. He made it his quest to end the black dragons for good, filling his reputation as a hunter. And if Hiccup had not stopped him, he would have done so… and the survivor you see here would not exist."
"Wait, hold on a second," Fred interjected. "You said Toothless was the last of his kind, right?"
"That is correct,"
"And then, you said he was the last one," He gestured to the dragon in the room. "Am I missing something?"
"Ah, yes. The mix between light and darkness. In the days near his exile to the realm below, Toothless encountered a member of a subspecies: a Light Fury. They grew attached, even as it was learned that it was all a trap meant to lure him to Grimmel. Upon his death and the dragons departing for their ancient home, their love grew. Years later, Toothless and the Light Fury had three children: hybrids Hiccup's family would call Night Lights. They grew in population even as Toothless' time was spent, moving down generations… until from the egg of one Night Light came the reborn flame."
"Whoa…" John uttered. "I'm pretty sure I covered something like this when we did genetics back in middle school."
"The Night Furies' genetic structure lived on in the Night Lights, and it was inevitable for a pure one to emerge once again. But alas… he is only one. If he falls, extinction will be certain."
The dragon crooned in worry.
"If the DPS hears about this, they'll be all over it," commented Val. "They'd be scrambling to keep him safe at all costs."
"Then so should we," Dan added. "If the Fists are going after him, it's gotta be for a reason. Just… need to find that reason, that's all." He turned his attention on the dragon, who was now staring at him with big purple eyes. Okay, Dan… it's just like a dog. A big, scaly, winged, scarily-smart dog…
"Um… hey, boy," he began. "So…" his eyes darted around for anything he could continue on… until they found his necklace. He grabbed it, holding it up for the dragon to see. "You know who this is, right?"
The Night Fury purred in approval, giving a small nod that impressed just about everyone. Oh. Clever one, huh? "Well, the person who was his partner and rode into battle with? He was my ancestor. So, I guess that makes Toothless your own ancestor."
"It does make enough sense," Ben cut in.
"And we're already marked for death by the same group of people," Dan continued. "Me just for who I am and who I come from, and you for… for… something. I don't know. Maybe because you're unique? No, wait. What if they don't want to kill you because you're too valuable? Maybe they want to use you for something? Probably for-"
The dragon let out an irritated grunt.
"Right! Sorry, sorry! Got a little sidetracked!" Dan stammered. "Anyway, they're not gonna leave us alone anytime soon. They're picking off people close to me one by one, and they're going after other dragons for who-knows-what. Well, looks like my folks want me to put an end to this, and you probably want a little payback for your fellow flying reptiles, right?"
The Night Fury looked confused for a moment, but quickly gathered his senses and snorted in confirmation. "Yeah, thought so. The best- and probably the only- way to do this is if we do this together." He crouched down on one knee, extending an offering hand forward. "So, what do you say… Toothless the Second?"
The dragon pulled away for a brief moment, glaring at Dan with a face that read "seriously?" all over it. Dan lowered his arm and sighed in embarrassment. "Okay, yeah, that was lame."
"Not the best name for a dragon," Fred cut in.
"Nuh-uh," added Val.
"You couldn't think of anything cooler?" groaned a facepalming John. "Like Swiftbreath or Duskhunter?"
"Only when I say it out loud do I realize how weird it sounds," Dan muttered. "Okay, I'll think of a better name later. Let's try this again: what do you say?" He held out his arm again, awaiting the animal's response. Five seconds passed until the dragon rested its nose on his palm with a calm coo and closed eyes.
And when they reopened, they looked ferocious and a snort from its nostrils added to the feel. Let's do this, they seemed to say.
"Heh. Yeah, that's what I thought," Dan chuckled, giving the dragon a good scratch behind the ear. "You and I are gonna get by just fine, huh?"
"I agree," Fiona said. "And as for the rest of you, it is time to get acquainted with your own partners." Right at the end of her sentence, more alarms began to blare… and another of the giant doors started to rise. Inside, something stirred and footsteps made contact with the metallic floor. Another dragon entered the chamber, this one a dark-blue individual of a bipedal species with a short, straight nasal horn and a spiny frill. Amber eyes scanned the area cautiously… and rested on the humans.
A growl cut through the air, followed by a swift "shing" noise like a sword being drawn from its sheath. Spikes on the creature's tails stood up like hairs on skin, appearing sharp enough to puncture the exterior of a car. It slowly advanced towards the nervous group…
...and the Night Fury ran directly in front of it, blocking its path with spread wings and growling out a warning. The other dragon paused in its tracks, giving out a squawk of confusion.
"A Spiketail," Fred whispered as the two dragons launched into an exchange of warblings and bird-like squawking. "I remember studying them. They're some of the smartest dragons, but not quite as intelligent as the Night Fury. Their tail spikes have traces of poison to stun or immobilize targets and their fire is composed of magnesium. It's hot enough to melt both rock and metal."
Val noticed the larger dragon had to shift its head to keep the Night Fury in view. The latter had Dan approach it and continued its explanation. "Anything else about it?" she asked.
"I've analyzed an image of one of them and discovered they have a blind spot," Fred continued. "Right by the nose. They can't see anything right in front of them."
"Aw, man…" moaned John. "When I saw one, I thought it left me alone because of me standing so still. I thought it could only see moving stuff."
"Well, that's technically true. As long as you keep yourself in a safe zone."
The creature's tail spikes retracted, the animal lowering its aggression. Its head lowered towards the cautious Val, sniffing her with a curious warble. A gust of air from its nostrils made her flinch. Seeing that the human had no harmful intentions, it withdrew calmly.
"Okay…" Val whispered, eying the creature. "If I'm being honest… I kinda liked these guys. They're… how do I say this? Elegant? Graceful?"
"I did see one preening its wings like a bird," commented Julie. "They probably take care of themselves very well."
The Spiketail took one more look at the Night Fury. The black dragon nodded appreciatively… and the other dragon exhaled calmly. Pressing a hand to its nose, Val smirked. "You're definitely looking good, Spike."
"Spike?" Dan repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, it was at the top of my head. Pretty basic, I know, but I'm working with what I've got."
The sound of gears and the sight of a rising metal door drew everyone's attention. It slowly lifted up… but before it fully opened, a large red shape burst its way through. A snarling red dragon with scars over its head and torso roared in freedom, claws banging against the metallic floor.
A Flamehide. One of the most dangerous species cataloged to appear. Highly aggressive and resilient to most damage… along with lighting up its body with fire.
"Holy crap!" gasped John.
The dragon locked amber eyes on the humans and roared again. The Spiketail raised its tail in warning, ready to attack. Acting fast, the Night Fury barked at the blue dragon and jumped in front of the red one, blocking its path.
The Flamehide paused at the sight of the Night Fury as if it had never seen a dragon such as this in its life. Nonetheless, it growled as if ordering the dragon to move aside.
The Night Fury didn't budge, responding with growls and calls of its own. Over time, the red dragon calmed itself down and kept its eyes trained on the Night Fury. It huffed in understanding, yet still retained a wary expression.
Ben slowly raised a hand, careful as not to make any sudden movements. "Hey, big guy…"
The red dragon gazed at the human cautiously. Its throat let out a low rumble and its nostrils flared, sniffing at the smaller lifeform. "You… look like you've been through a lot," Ben continued, noticing the dragon's scars. "Hmm… I gotta give you a cool name because you look… absolutely hardcore."
The dragon snorted, looking to the rest of the group.
"Uh, how about… Firebreath?" asked Ben… and he shook his head. "No, no, no, too obvious. Redhorn? Nah, too easy. And definitely not Deathwing, no matter how cool that one is…"
The Night Fury kept its eyes trained on the Flamehide. Dan could've sworn he was silently warning the other dragon not to try anything stupid. Ben's eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers with a gasp.
"Aha! Scorcher! You like that?! Y'know, because… some of those scars look like burn marks?"
"Actually, Ben, dragon scales are fireproof," corrected Fred. "I have the video feeds to prove it."
Ben held up a finger and opened his mouth… but closed it. "Okay, but it still breathes fire, so Scorcher it is."
The red dragon gave a rumble of amusement. It looked like it didn't feel so bad about the name. Before long, the fourth and final door in the room slowly raised upwards, the two lights nearby flashing and beeping in alarm. The newly-named Flamehide turned and bared its teeth like a gladiator about to face a beast charging from a gate.
A hissing sound came from behind the door, followed by traces of green gas. John sniffed the air… and wrinkled his nose. "Ugh!" he gagged, waving an arm in front of him. "What is that?! It makes me wanna barf!"
Fred raised a brow, taking in small whiffs. "I remember this smell… back when I was looking into the known species. Ammonium nitrate mixed with… uh, anhydrous hydrazine. Highly combustible combination."
"Can we…" Julie paused to cough into her arm. "Can we get a translator in here?"
"A gas," Dan answered. "Only one kind of dragon I know has that…"
The hissing returned. A dark-green shape with a split tail moved out into the open with a single serpentine neck… that separated into two from the shadows. Two heads emerged, donning small horns on each one. A Gemini, as the media called it. Its heads snaked around, adjusting to the new space before them…
...and each one realized they weren't alone. One spotted the Spiketail while the other drew back at the sight of the Flamehide. Both a snarl and a hiss of alarm came from each mouth.
One head sprayed the Flamehide right in the face with gas like a skunk. The red dragon growled in agitation, backing away and shaking its head of the green smoke. The Spiketail roared while the other head drove it away with sparks in its mouth. Both heads hissed a warning, drawing themselves back…
The Night Fury jumped in front of it with a growl. Identifying a new potential threat, one head sprayed out another jet of gas. However, the Night Fury was ready for it, as he folded his wings in front of his head to shield himself from the stream. When the flow stopped, he flashed his wings open and turned an annoyed eye to the green dragon.
Both heads immediately ceased their aggression. Two pairs of eyes stared at the Night Fury as if they were looking at a ghost. They lowered their heads, examining the black dragon. A few grunts and rumbles from the latter appeared to have the double-headed dragon calmed.
John gave a sheepish grin and raised a hand. His sister repeated his action, albeit more reluctant. The Gemini approached the twins, each head investigating one of them. The left head sniffed a nervous John and the right closely examined a silent Julie.
The Night Fury cooed to the jade dragon, earning him a satisfied expression from one of the heads. Both pairs of eyes looked to the twins, who slowly reached under their chins. John started to scratch the left head's chin and nervously chuckled. "Nice snaky dragon… nice snaky dragon…"
Julie got a good look at one of the dragon's fangs and the long, serpentine neck. "Wait, snake?" she repeated, examining the scaly neck and the emerald, horned head. Before long, she let out a small exhale of realization. "Ohh yeah…"
"Whatcha thinkin', sis?"
"I know just what to name this baby," the girl replied with a proud face. "Behold… Viper." The right head of the Gemini gave out a hiss of appreciation.
"Whoa… that's even better than what I had in mind!" John gasped. "I was gonna go with Yin and Yang, what with two heads and all, but your idea is so much better! Okay, um…" He looked to the left head of the Gemini, who awaited its new form of identification.
John's eyes lit up. "Cobra!"
"Nice one!" Julie congratulated.
Dan looked around at the group, his Night Fury doing likewise. All of the dragons had calmed down, adjusting to their new human partners. But when Dan laid eyes on Fred, he furrowed his brows. He took one last look at the doors… and counted only four of them.
"Uh… where's number five?"
Val turned to him. "Number five?"
"Fishlegs rode a Boulder, right? Shouldn't Fred have something like-"
"Uh, that's alright, Dan," Fred cut in. "I don't think I ever told you this, but… I don't do so well with heights. They make me nauseous."
Dan gave him a look. "Was that the real reason you didn't want to go on that skydiving trip with me two years ago?"
"Yes."
"I knew you having to look at a Flamehide's scale sounded suspicious. There's no way you could ever get your hands on one… uh, no offense."
"None taken."
"Fred's expertise lies not in the field, anyway," came Fiona's voice. "Given his scientific approach to dragon research, I have decided to allow him to continue his work rather than riding. Perhaps concepts both learned from his ancestor and ones he himself discovers could provide valuable information to the rest of you; such as the Night Fury's echolocation and the various uses of Hideous Zippleback gas."
Astonished, Dan faced his black dragon. "Echolocation? Just like a bat? You can do that?" Although his dragon was taken aback for a moment, he nodded his head. "Whoa, cool!"
"Hold on, hold on," John held up a finger. "What's a 'Hideous Zippleback'?" He stuck his tongue out at the strange word. "Eugh. Pardon my French."
"The dragons' names you have known from the present-day media are not even close to the ones your ancestors grew up knowing. The dragons you see before you were the earliest ones encountered by the people of Berk… and back then, classified as the most dangerous."
Dan looked to his Night Fury, who stared back at him with violet eyes. "The Night Fury was at the top of that list. As I previously mentioned, almost little data was gathered on this specimen. The only defense against one was to not engage it at all."
"Smart," Dan commented.
"Yes, but not smart enough. All they could do was hope the so-called 'unholy offspring of lightning and death itself' wasn't able to discover them. If it did, it would be over."
Val's Spiketail shook its head like a dog shaking off water. Its tail straightened out and a bird-like squawk came from its mouth. "Next," Fiona continued. "We have the Deadly Nadder: the most elegant and graceful of all recorded species. It holds fire composed of magnesium with a maximum temperature of thirty-one hundred degrees celsius, tail spikes capable of immobilizing victims, and a sheer amount of intelligence. Several individuals, Astrid's own dragon Stormfly among them, have been known to breathe flames of different colors, such as blue and green."
Val put a hand to her chin, looking to Spike in admiration. The dragon returned the gesture, gazing down at the girl. It squawked again in comfort.
"The Monstrous Nightmare," continued Fiona, turning her attention to Ben's crimson-scaled dragon. "Was a dragon only seasoned warriors targeted. Aggressive, ferocious, and territorial, this species is known to produce a flammable gel to give their fire more destructive qualities. And most notably, they are renowned for their ability to coat themselves in flame."
Ben's Nightmare let out a low rumble of recognition, his new partner looking suddenly uneased. "Um… has my ancestor's dragon lit itself up while it was being ridden?"
"To the amusement of the team, Benjamin, Snotlout had found himself repeatedly burnt due to the reckless actions of Hookfang. I have personally ensured that the equipment you will possess will be completely fireproof. You have nothing to worry about."
Ben swallowed. "I better…" he mumbled, looking back to Scorcher.
"And lastly, we have the odd one of the group; the double-headed Hideous Zippleback."
"Hey, Julie, what's a word that means both lame and weird at the same time?" John asked silently. "Because it'd fit with what those horn-heads named this dragon." His younger sister just shrugged.
"One head releases a combustible gas, the other gives the spark that ignites it. Out of all the riders, Tuffnut and Ruffnut had the most destructive antics. Demolition was their strong suit and their Zippleback- Barf and Belch- excelled perfectly at that."
The twins grimaced. "And we came from those two knuckleheads?" Julie questioned. "You sure the DNA test was accurate?"
"That, and I'm fond of our dragon's name better," added John.
"Each head has separate thoughts, which can lead to disagreements. But if you show them how to work together, this dragon can accomplish any task given to them… such as the flaming ouroboros formation where they bite their tails and become a flaming wheel This skill is not natural; it must be taught to them."
The twins stopped in their tracks. "Uh, what?" Julie whispered, hoping she heard that last part right. "A fire wheel?" John gasped. "Okay… okay, I'm in. This bad boy will be ready in no time!" He patted Cobra on the horn, the head rumbling in response.
"So…" Dan spoke up. "What happens now?"
"Now?" came the director's reply. "You do what you were born to do. Centuries ago, a single team stood together to preserve the dragon race. To protect it from anyone who wished to capture them, weaponize them, sell them, or kill them. They stood firm through anything that was thrown at them. But as the years went by, the flame holding the team together flickered out, dimming and dimming until its glow was barely noticeable. But now, here and today, the time has come for that fire to be reignited once again."
The Night Fury narrowed his eyes with anticipation.
"The Bloody Fists have grown more advanced and powerful than even the Order capable of. That is where you all come in. Bringing them down will not be fast nor simple. They will be relentless and unwilling to stop until all of their targets are eliminated. For now, your first objective is this: head to Palisades Interstate Park on the outskirts of the city. There, you will find a base of operations previously used by the agents tasked with retrieving you. More instructions will follow when you arrive."
The ceiling opened up, giving way to a wide space for the dragons to ascend out of. "You two," spoke Fiona, addressing Dan and Val. "Meet me in the command center before you depart. I have one last thing to show you."
"You guys better make it quick," Ben commented, trying to hoist himself atop Scorcher's back while John and Julie tried to do the same for Cobra and Viper. "Whatever it is…"
"Hey, Spike?" Val asked her Nadder. "Do me a favor and get Fred outta here. I'll catch up to you soon." The dragon squawked in approval… and picked up the young genius by the back of his shirt. "Whoa, whoa, easy…" The dragon threw him over his head and he landed on the scaly back. "Oof…"
The three dragons took off through the exit while the Night Fury stayed behind. Dan could see a curious look in his eye. He nodded to the black dragon, who gave him a toothless smile in return.
…
"You called, director?" Dan asked. The Night Fury and Val stood behind him, eyes trained on the older woman. She had her hands behind her back and a warm smile on her face.
"I have something for you," she said. "From your father."
Dan blinked. "My dad?"
"Yes. He made it before he went into exile. And he gave it to me in hopes that you would wield it." She took her hands out from behind her… and in them rested a small, black cylinder dotted with red lines and the head of a dragon at the top. At the sight of it, Val frowned suspiciously and the Night Fury tilted his head.
"What… is that?" she asked. Dan slowly picked up the cylinder, testing its weight in his hand. Fiona just smiled. "You'll find out soon enough." Dan ran his fingers on the device, getting a closer examination of it. His index finger bumped into something. Something small, round, and jutting out from the rest of the cylinder.
"Is this a button?" he asked. "Do I-" he looked to Fiona, who silently nodded. "Okay, here goes…" he pressed down on the button with his index finger and…
KILK! FA-WOOSH! A metal blade shot up from the cylinder, and a millisecond after, fire raced up to the top. Everyone, save for Fiona, stared at the sight in sheer awe. Dan blinked in both shock and disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak… but nothing could come out.
"Behold," said Fiona. "The Dragon Blade 2. The original was crafted and wielded by Hiccup during an expedition beyond the archipelago's borders. Fueled by Monstrous Nightmare saliva and able to calm wild dragons with careful movements, as well as intimidating human enemies. Your father kept this a secret project for months, and he put the final touches when the assassinations began."
Dan still couldn't say anything. Was he really holding a flaming lightsaber, of all things? He slowly moved his arms, watching the flames dance about as the weapon moved with him.
"What happened to the original?" he heard Val ask.
"It lies in this very base as an artifact," Fiona answered. "Some of the Haddocks believe it to be destroyed after a daring move pulled off by Hiccup; when Grimmel drew near New Berk. But according to some rumors my agents picked up, it was passed on to Hiccup's daughter, Zephyr. She wielded it against a massive naval armada and struck down its leader in a duel. The original Dragon Blade now lies useless and unable to function again, due to its supply being empty."
Dan twisted his wrist and gave the weapon a twirl, witnessing an orange arc cut through the air. Without taking his eyes off it, he pressed the button again… and the flames were gone. The blade retracted back into the cylinder- the hilt.
"If you are to survive against the Fists, Daniel," Fiona explained, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You must learn to use this weapon just as Hiccup once did and coordinate with your dragon. Remember that both of you are highly sought after targets. You need to work together to succeed in this mission.
Dan turned to the Night Fury, who gave him a prepared nod and narrowed eyes. His dragon's response clear, Dan turned back to Fiona and secured the new weapon to his person.
"I hope we'll be in touch soon, Director Brinnings."
"C'mon," Val told him, gesturing to the exit. "We got a base to track down."
…
"Give me deployment status," Lucas ordered.
"Our forces are mobilized across the East Coast, sir," replied a soldier. "Jammers are in the green, so no unwanted company will appear any time soon."
"Good," he said. "Now direct everyone onto Phase Two. We know the Order of the Wing has the targets in their possession. Our next objective is to track them down and-"
"Sir!"
Lucas turned to the new voice. "This better be good. What is it?"
"One of the surveillance drones reported something, sir!" spoke a technician. "We found the targets!"
And Byter thought scanning the city's citizens would be a waste, Lucas thought to himself. "Where are they?"
The technician looked at a map. "I-95 North, sir! Crossing into New Jersey! Wait… they're adjusting their course to the west!"
Lucas turned to another soldier. "Find Agent Stinger. Immediately. Tell him to get a vehicle squad scrambled. They have hunting to do."
"Yes, sir!" The soldier was off without a further word.
Lucas turned to the map, where a red dot was moving on a stretch of highway. If the Haddocks were trying to get away… they'd find out the hard way that no one escapes the grip of the Bloody Fists for long.