A red Ford F-150 pickup truck cruised down the highway with little to no fellow traffic ahead of it. Its three occupants looked down the upcoming stretch of road and a blue tarp covered something big in the back cab. From the back seat, Dan looked to the tarp and caught a glimpse of black scales underneath it. "Palisades Interstate Park, she said? What's there?"
"Aside from historic monuments, twelve miles of hiking, and twenty-five hundred acres of the Hudson River and cliffs…" Val paused and shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."
"Remind me again why we're not traveling by air?" Ben questioned, taking his eyes off the road for a quick moment to look at his passengers. "Because I have mixed feelings about starting riding lessons, however that's gonna work."
Dan sat up in his seat. "I overheard one of the agents. He said he thought that the Fists had reached the city."
"Already?" asked Val, bewildered. "Why?"
"If I had to say it in one word: alarmed. They probably know the Order found us already and want to end their search quickly."
"Too bad for them," Val answered smugly. "We're not even in the city anymore, let alone the state." Beside her, Ben cut in. "Yeah, but- and this is just a thought- what if there's another like you still in the city? Y'know, another Haddock marked for termination?"
"Probably gonna hide," Dan guessed. "It's bad enough I've lost several of my family, even ones I didn't even know about. The last thing either of us wants is to lose anymore." Val opened her mouth to agree… but was cut off by the sound of a ringtone. Also noticing this, Dan pulled out his phone and slightly heard a small rumble from the tarp behind him.
"Yeah?"
"Hey, Dan, it's me," came Fred's voice. "The twins and I are at the park. We're waiting on you."
"Still en route. How are the dragons?"
"I'm doing my best to keep them concealed. The twins are just as confused as me. There's, like, nothing out here but nature. No signs of any base."
"Hello?" piped up John. "Do you not get the 'secret' part of 'secret base'? C'mon, Jules, let's keep looking."
"I take it you haven't found anything yet?"
"No, not even close. We'll keep up the search until you guys arrive, then figure something out."
"Hey, word of advice," Dan continued. "You need to make sure no one sees the dragons by any means necessary. Think you can do that?"
"Also trying. I'm kinda multitasking here… uh, how long until you guys get here?"
Dan paused. "Uh, twenty minutes?"
"Fifteen," Val corrected, turning an eye to the GPS. Dan gave a slight nod. "Fifteen minutes."
"Unless we run into a traffic issue,"
"Don't jinx it," Ben shushed, raising a hand.
"We'll see you guys later," Dan finished, hanging up and putting his phone back. He looked out at the road ahead... completely unaware of what was happening from behind.
Ben's truck drove past an entrance ramp. As soon as it passed, a black jeep entered the highway and began to accelerate. The driver steered around other cars while the front passenger set up a communications link.
…
An image of the road came into view before Stinger's eyes on a large monitor. The Bloody Fist agent sat at a control console with several other technicians, his commanding officer meters behind him. "Convoy, this is Control. Visual connection established. Do you have eyes on the target vehicle, over?"
"Affirmative, Control. Target vehicle is a twenty-seventeen Ford eff one-fifty model. Distance: one thousand meters and closing. Vehicle is holding both targets that previously eluded extermination. No other vehicles in sight. Orders?"
Stinger turned to Lucas. The higher-ranking agent narrowed his eyes and nodded.
Stinger turned back to his microphone. "Control to Convoy. You are clear to engage. Repeat, clear to engage."
"Copy that."
"They won't get away from us this time…" Lucas whispered.
…
Val let out a quiet sigh, propping a hand against her chin. She hardly showed it, but she was one of those girls who tended to grow bored quickly. Instinctively, she moved a hand to the radio…
"Ah-ah-ah," Ben stopped her right there. "If I told you once, I told you a million times, Val. My car, my tunes."
She scoffed. "You're not my dad."
"I might as well be. Last time, you almost turned the bass volume so high you rattled my bones."
Val's eyes nearly went wide and she shook her head. "No, I didn't!"
Dan let out an amused chuckle. "Would've liked to see…" he paused. Something in the rearview mirror didn't look right. "...that. Uh… guys?"
"What?" Ben asked.
"Does… doesn't that car look like it's coming in a little fast?" Val looked to the mirror and Ben looked over his shoulder. Both of them seemed to notice it, too, as they suddenly went silent.
Ben just shook his head. "There's a lot of idiots on the road. Best I can do is change lanes for this-"
KA-THUNK! The whole car shuddered and the tarp moved again. Ben shook wildly. "What the?!"
Dan quickly turned to the tarp, holding out a calming hand to the moaning cargo beneath. But while he was turned back, he noticed something sticking out of the back cab: a line. A line attached to the front of the jeep.
"Is that… a tow cable?"
He looked to the jeep… and he saw ten figures on motorcycles come out from behind it. His green eyes expanded and a gasp came from his throat.
"Ben, can you shake this loose?!"
Dan heard the engine attempt to accelerate, but the cable prevented it from a quick escape. "Argh! No good! We're locked in!"
"Guys, guys, GUYS!" Dan's shouting drew Ben and Val's attention. They turned back, catching sight of the bikes that were picking up speed.
"Oh, crap!" Ben gasped.
"The… the Fists?" Val whispered. Without hesitating, she leaned towards the backseat. "Dan! Break cover!"
He turned to the tarp, put two fingers in his mouth, and blew. FWEEET!
In an instant, the tarp was flung off and scattered to the road. In an instant, a large black figure with wide wings and an open mouth jumped out of the cab. Its throat gave out a purple glow; one that turned the head of every Bloody Fist agent on the scene. The driver of the jeep widened his eyes behind the goggles over his face.
PSHOOM! A bright blast of plasma shot from the Night Fury's mouth. It exploded against the winch at the front of the jeep, detonating the engine in the process. The vehicle flipped into the air as its tow cable snapped. The dragon touched down on the road and ducked, watching the wreckage sail over his form.
The jeep smashed on the road's surface in a tumbling heap, smoke and fire rising into the sky. It came to a halt right-side-up, two of its tires shredded. The Night Fury jumped in front of the vehicle and looked at it, giving it a taunting look. Before long, blurred figures zipped by with the sounds of screaming engines. Letting out a roar, the Night Fury took off after the squad of motorcycles.
…
The glimpse of the dragon was all that could be seen before the camera switched off. The connection was replaced with a black screen and red words reading "UNIT OFFLINE". Most of the personnel had stunned faces, Stinger included.
"Was that…"
"The Night Fury," sneered Lucas. "Is our backup still standing by?"
"Of course, sir."
"Good. Call it in."
"Very good, sir," Stinger nodded before turning his direction to a technician. "You! Deploy the jeep's second unit! And activate the drones! Have them converge on the dragon, it must not be allowed to intercept the bikers!"
…
By the ruined jeep, part of the roof slid away. A smaller vehicle popped out and touched down on the road wheels-first, speeding off after the truck. Small, aerial drones hovered out of the same compartment and flew towards the Night Fury's position.
UNDER ATTACK! SEND HELP ASAP!
Dan mashed the "send" button and shoved his phone into his pocket. His dragon had taken care of the jeep, freeing Ben's truck and sending it speeding off. Unfortunately, the bikers were closing in at a faster rate. Two of them approached from both sides, helmets turning to Ben and Val. The one on Val's side punched at the window, cracking it and making her flinch. The other one attempted to do the same on Ben's side. Val swung open her door and hit the biker on her side with it. She thrust out a leg, kicking the biker in the head. He fell, his vehicle following and toppling to the road.
The driver's side glass shattered, forcing Ben to shield himself. The biker reached in, grabbing at the wheel. Snarling, Ben slammed an elbow into the biker's helmet twice and cracked the visor. The biker drove back, forced to discard it and reveal a head of black hair and yellow eyes. Gunning the bike's engine, he moved in again.
"Back OFF!" Ben swerved and slammed the bike into a guardrail, sending the rider flying off. A third bike came in on the passenger side, neared Dan's position... and drew a pistol.
"BEN?!"
His answer came in a lurching movement and the squealing of brakes. The crack of the gun came a moment later- or was that the sound of Dan's head smacking against the front passenger seat?- and the bike plowed ahead with a second.
Both vehicles swerved and halted, forming a roadblock. The second rider drew his pistol, both weapons aiming at the truck. "Everyone DOWN!" Ben called. He, Dan, and Val dropped their heads low…
...and bullets zipped overhead, cracking the windshield and making holes. Ben slammed on the gas pedal and Dan heard the slamming sound of metal meeting metal. He raised his head and looked back, seeing two bikes sprawled out with their riders closeby. But the convoy wasn't done yet. More bikes were racing after them, their leader making a hand signal to spread out.
REEEAAAAAARGH!
The Night Fury pounced on a bike and tackled it to the ground. It smacked another off with his tail- the vehicle careening with no balance- and slashed at another bike's front tire. The engine went wild and the bike crashed against asphalt, its rider screaming.
Another rider pulled out a gun and pumped the trigger. The Night Fury went airborne to avoid the shots, landing right on top of the bike. The bike swerved, unable to hold much weight, and crashed as the dragon jumped off.
Suddenly, a stinging pain forced the dragon to the ground. He whirled his head around… and saw yellow flashes coming from both an approaching vehicle and a squad of flying machines.
Gunfire!
He leaped into the air, fighting against the pain of the unseen projectiles. The Night Fury went for the drones first, barreling into them like a wrecking ball. One broke apart on impact. Another spun, keeping track of its target, and fired its machine guns. Snagging that drone, the dragon threw it into the flight path of another. Both machines crashed against each other and fell to the road. The small land vehicle, its turret still shooting, failed to steer away from the debris and smashed against the fallen drones, landing on its back. The Night Fury turned his attention to it for a brief moment, blowing it apart with a plasma blast.
Another plasma blast blew another drone to flaming bits. He seized one by the protective casing around its front rotor, watching its guns go wild. The Night Fury swung it around, forcing other drones to get hit by their ally's own fire and collapse. Once they were all downed, the dragon slammed the drone in his mouth to the ground and pulled hard, yanking the rotor right off it.
He took a moment to catch himself. His black chest fell up and down with controlled breathing. He stared at the mechanical wreckage around him, watching sparks, smoke, and fire emit from each drone.
BAWOOOM! Suddenly, another cloud of black and red-orange ascended into the air further down the road. The Night Fury whirled to it… and his purple eyes filled with horror.
The drones were all a distraction!
With a howl of fear, he took off for the cloud as fast as he could.
…
Moments earlier…
"That's it!" Dan shouted. "He got all the bikes!"
"Uh… not all of them!" Val replied. On her cue, two more bikes came up to the pickup truck. But instead of drawing weapons and trying to shoot, they ducked down for a moment. Dan, Val, and Ben heard something stick to the truck… and the biker braked, backing off from the truck.
"What happened?! What happened?!" Ben cried. "What'd they do to my car?!"
Val lowered her damaged window and stuck her head out, black locks flowing in the wind. She saw a canister near the rear tire. A canister with a green light on it.
"Uh, they just stuck something with a light on!" Val called.
"There's one over here, too!" Dan added.
"Well, what the hell is it?!" Ben shouted. Val turned to the canister, swearing she could hear a light beeping. She focused on it… and the green light turned a bright red.
Her blue eyes widened. "IT'S A-"
BAWOOOM!
The truck was sent careening into the air, a cloud of red and orange coming from underneath propelling it skyward. Its roof smashed onto the road and the car continued to flip, the sounds of the blast replaced with crunching and grinding metal. It landed upside down and sparks flew as the wrecked truck screeched to a halt, its underside aflame.
…
"Target vehicle down. Repeat, target vehicle down. We lost eighty percent of the squad and all the drones in the process."
"Move in. If they survived that, finish the job."
"Roger, Control."
Stinger flipped a switch, changing communication channels. "Gargoyle One, do you copy?"
"I copy, Control." Aside from the voice, the sound of rotors could be heard.
"Your target is the Night Fury. Take it down at all costs, but remember: Command needs it alive."
"Understood. Approaching the target position now."
"Get it done, Gargoyle One. Control out."
…
From the burning wreck of the pickup truck, a passenger door slowly opened. Dan crawled out in a coughing fit, his face covered in soot and a few scratches. He tried to push himself up, grunting as he did so. He only managed to get on one knee before the high-pitched sound of engines cut through his ears.
The last two bikers braked in front of the wreck and parked their vehicles, pistols at the ready. "See anything?" one of them asked.
"Negative. No way they could've- wait, there's one!"
A memory came to Dan's mind when they took notice. "Fueled by Monstrous Nightmare saliva and able to calm wild dragons with careful movements, as well as intimidate human enemies."
Dan glanced to his waist. It was worth a try…
He unclasped his newly-acquired weapon and pressed the button, lighting it up. At the sight of the burning blade, both bikers paused. For a moment, they just stood there, looking at the sword in confusion.
Dan's heart sank. They weren't buying it…
"What the hell is that?"
"I don't care what that is. He just brought a sword to a gunfight. Let's fini-"
BLAM! He didn't get the chance to finish before a purple bolt struck him in the chest and knocked him off. "What the-?!" the second one raised his gun… but didn't even fire a single shot before the Night Fury was on him. The dragon grabbed a shoulder in his jaws, shook the screaming rider wildly, and threw him against the guardrail. With a metallic thunk, the rider was out cold.
The Night Fury immediately rushed over to Dan with a worried look in his eyes. He nuzzled the human's chest, nervously whimpering. "I'm okay, boy… I'm okay," Dan panted. "I'm… the others!"
The dragon whined again. "Go! Get Ben!" The Night Fury was off towards the driver's side door. Dan rushed up to the door next to his own, grabbed the handle, and pulled.
The thing didn't budge. Dan heard another screech of metal, followed by the sight of a red car door being tossed away. Through the smoke, he saw his dragon take Ben by the arm and drag his slightly-conscious form out of the vehicle.
Dan looked to the open window of the passenger door… and to the unmoving figure of the girl still inside. Switching off the Dragon Blade 2 and holstering it, Dan leaned inside and took Val by the arms. Grunting, he pulled her out inch by inch while she slowly started to regain consciousness.
Both of them collapsed to the road with breathless gasps. With Ben still in his grip, the Night Fury carried him over to their position and set him down. With pained groans, their eyes slowly cracked open.
"Wh… what happened?" Val croaked. "Did we…?"
"Good news," Dan replied. "We just saved your skins. Bad news…"
"NO!" Ben was wide awake now, staring at the burning wreck with horrified eyes. "My car!"
"Our ride got totaled…" Dan finished.
"My… my dad got me it when I turned seventeen…" Ben sniffed… and he turned to the others with a stoic face. "This just got very, VERY personal…" The Night Fury narrowed his violet eyes in reply, adding to Ben's emotions.
That face dropped within a second, replaced by one of alarm. Earflaps perked up and the dragon looked to the smoke. "Bud?" Dan asked. "What do you…"
Then he heard it, too. The sound of something being spun at a fast rate repeatedly. Like a rotor. Everyone looked to the sky as the sound drew closer…
...and the smoke parted. A black helicopter soared through the cloud with spinning blades and a red fist symbol by the cockpit. Missile launchers opened up and the Night Fury growled at the new arrival.
…
"Target in sight. Capture team, deploy and standby until the target is subdued."
"Let's go! Go, go, go!"
"Missiles away!"
…
Two missiles flew from their launchers. The Night Fury jumped back, letting them explode against the road. The side doors of the helicopter slid open and ropes were tossed out. From the ropes, soldiers in black and red slid down and touched the road. Taser sticks and net launchers were primed and their leader held out a ballistic shield.
More missiles flew out and the Night Fury rolled to the side. The dragon countered by shooting at the chopper with another plasma blast…
...but it vanished without an explosion on the chopper's nose.
The dragon let out a noise of confusion. It tried again, shooting another bolt. This one touched the windshield of the cockpit but still didn't blow. The dragon let out a nervous whine and continued to shoot. Each of the plasma bolts connected with the helicopter… but hardly dealt any damage at all.
"Uh… what's going on?" Val asked. "Why isn't it going down in flames?"
"Is that chopper… dragon-proof?" Dan questioned. "Nothing the military's ever come up with is that strong against-"
"Captain, look! Over there!"
Val uttered a curse, spotting a soldier point in their direction. The lead one with the shield spun his head and beckoned his men to follow. Tasers snapped to life and shouts rang out. Within moments, the trio was surrounded.
The Night Fury continued to dodge missile after missile- a close-for-comfort blast stunning him- until the final two were fired at him. The dragon bared his teeth… and jumped, snagging one of the missiles in his jaws. He wrestled with the weapon, its thrusters operating at full power. Struggling to hold it in place, he positioned it right at the chopper… and let go.
The missile streaked and exploded against the helicopter, but the vehicle only wobbled from the impact with a smoking mark from where it hit. The Night Fury groaned… that totally worked last time.
In a desperate move, he fired another plasma bolt. Or… tried to. All that came out of his mouth were violet sparks, smoke, and a coughing fit. This brought sudden fear to the dragon's eyes. This wasn't good.
Dan looked around at the soldiers, gripping his weapon tightly. The soldier in front of him twirled his taser… and Dan replied by igniting his Dragon Blade and holding it in a ready pose. The soldier, taken aback at first, shrugged it off.
"Whoa, what is that?" Ben asked. "A… a sword?"
"Long story short," Val answered for him. "Hiccup made a really cool fire sword in his day for combat. Dan's dad made a new one for his son." Dan looked to her in thanks… and saw she had balled fists in a stance.
"Wait, since when do you know how to fight?" he asked, baffled.
"Karate lessons as a kid and a tae kwon do tournament at fifteen," she replied sternly.
"I was in the school's wrestling club! And my dad was a boxer!" Ben added. "How 'bout you?"
Dan blinked. "Uh…"
Val stared at him in disbelief. "Uh-oh…"
"Get 'em!" a soldier cried, rushing in at Dan. Quickly thinking, he tried to block the taser and raised his sword high. He barely accomplished this as the force of the taser nearly broke his guard and made sparks fly. Dan tried to attack with a swing, but the trooper easily deflected this, seized Dan by the head, and kneed him in the face.
Val landed quick punches on a trooper going for her and spin-kicked another, sending him rolling to the ground. She sidestepped a taser thrust, snatched it from that soldier, and stabbed him with it. An electric current shot through the trooper's writhing form. Val whirled around, blocked another strike, and kicked that soldier back. She stabbed him in the shoulder, hearing both a yelp and an irritated growl.
Ben grabbed a soldier and slammed him into the ground with a piledriver. A taser stabbed him in the back, making him yell out and punch that soldier across the head. A close swing forced him onto his back and scootch away from several pokes.
Dan's attacker swung for him again. The young man ducked and grabbed the charging soldier, throwing him over his shoulder. At least, he tried to, because he fell down with the soldier. With a gasp, he rolled away as the soldier tried to poke him with the taser again.
He suddenly cried out and fell, revealing Val standing over him. Another soldier hit her with a backhand and advanced, only to fall from a sweep of the legs. Dan scrambled to his feet… and saw the captain extend a steel riot baton. Nervously, Dan twirled his Dragon Blade in another intimidation attempt.
The captain didn't even flinch… as far as Dan could tell from the helmet. He charged in with a cry. Dan managed to block the first attack, but the next four consecutive ones put a strain on him. The final hit made him stumble and he had barely enough time to counter the next. Dan blocked high twice, the captain yelling out angrily.
He spun his baton, forcing Dan to step back. Metal clanged against burning metal again. An upward swing made Dan stumble again, gasping for breath.
"You don't know how to use that thing, kid. It's basically a burning stick."
Dan tried going on the offensive and swung at the captain three times. His blade only missed when the captain dodged, his second strike was deflected by the baton, and the last one met the shield. Dan pushed against the captain as hard as he could…
...but he felt the baton jab him in the gut. Followed by a military-grade shield bashing him in the face. And then the feeling of asphalt against his back. Dan groaned, blinking the blurriness from his eyes. He heard Val cry out and an electric current run through the captain. It was followed by another shield bash and the sound of the girl falling and scrambling back to her feet.
"You two! On her!"
From the corner of his vision, Dan saw two soldiers overpower Val at the same time with an elbow across the face and a taser jab to the back, forcing her to her knees. Another fired his net launcher at Ben, trapping him in a mesh that kept him on the ground.
Breathing heavily, the captain strode up to Dan ominously, trading his baton for a pistol. He tossed the shield aside, took aim, and…
A sparkly blast of bright orange flame hit the captain like a rocket, sending him flying back. Everyone spun to look at the new arrivals. Two soldiers were too late, as blue spikes stabbed into them like arrows and made them fall.
"Someone order a rescue?!" John called atop the Zippleback. "YEEE-HAWWW!"
Scorcher landed on the road with a furious bellow, Fred jumping off his back. The dragon lunged at the soldier with the net launcher, closing his jaws around him and slamming him to the ground. The twins also disembarked with John striking a karate pose. "Waaa! Stand back, evil dude! I know kung-fu!"
One of the soldiers pulled out a pistol; the sight of which made John freeze up. "But not gun-fu! Aaaah!" Terrified, he spun on his heel and bolted behind his dragon. Viper sprayed out a cloud of green gas and Cobra lit it up before a shot could be fired, eliminating the surprised soldiers.
Machinegun fire from the helicopter smacked the pavement, drawing Spike's attention. The Deadly Nadder snarled and launched some more tail spikes beneath the rotors. The spines stuck and the dragon flew up, closing its talons against the chopper's tail. Spike swung the vehicle around in circles and released, sending it spiraling down to the ground…
...and exploding on impact. Spike touched down and let out a victorious roar. The dragons took one last look around the scene for any more surprises. Julie cheekily brushed her shoulder and surveyed the scene. "Looks like we missed a whole lot of the party."
"Urgh…" Dan moaned, climbing to his feet with his Night Fury helping out. "Perfect timing, guys."
"No prob, dude," John replied. "Man, you're glad we got here when we-" He suddenly froze mid-sentence. His eyes were wide in surprise while Fred helped Ben out of the net. "Am… am I crazy… or is that a freaking lightsaber?" Julie and Fred also took notice, their eyes wide in bewilderment and confusion.
Dan glanced at his still-active weapon and mentally rolled his eyes. Here it comes…
"No, it can't be," Julie whispered. "Lightsabers can't catch fire."
"A fire-saber?" John replied. "And I missed you fighting with that thing?! Aww!" He face-palmed. Val rose to her feet, still clutching the taser she snagged from one of the soldiers. "Be glad you didn't," she moaned. "He hardly stood a chance."
"Plus…" Dan added. "Those moves from the films are way harder than they look. Take it from someone who tried it himself."
"Which is why," Fred continued, taking a moment to adjust his glasses. "We need to be more prepared for next time. It's also the primary reason we need to find that base. Come on, we should go before more show up."
John placed a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Sorry about the ride, bro." Ben just replied with an "mm". Val turned off the taser and moved towards Spike. The Night Fury approached Dan, who looked at the burning Dragon Blade.
Fred's right. I was a punching bag for that guy back there. The Fists aren't gonna stop chasing me, so I can't keep being all useless. I gotta learn how to defend myself… and properly.
He switched off the weapon, holstered it, and mounted the Night Fury like a horse. "Okay… let's go find us a base."
…
"Incoming threats! Three of them! Fire the main gun! Now! Fire, fire!"
"Control, this is Gargoyle One! Contact with dragons! Closing fast! Requesting-AGH! We're hit! Wha?! Mayday, mayday, mayday! We're going down! Brace, brace, BRACE-"
Nothing but static on the other end. With a nervous expression, Stinger slowly turned to Lucas. "Sir… we lost Gargoyle One and the capture squad. The mission… is a failure."
"No need for apologies, Agent Stinger," came a reply with a raised hand. "Apparently, I underestimated our enemy. The Haddocks- and the Night Fury- are under greater security than I anticipated…" He placed a hand under his chin, eyes focused with thought. "Command must be notified. Immediately."
…
The Night Fury sniffed the ground like a hunting dog, moving along a dirt path. The rest of the dragons roamed behind him while the humans scouted ahead. John pushed aside a plant, glaring at everything in sight suspiciously. He checked underneath a rock… and groaned in disappointment.
"We must've been searching for hours," Julie whined. "I'm getting tired."
Fred looked at his phone. "We've only been looking for five minutes."
"Whatever…"
"It could be anywhere within this whole park," Val muttered. "Couldn't we get coverage from the air?"
"And risk being spotted by a park ranger? No thanks," Dan replied. He kicked a pebble towards a sunlit clearing… and the tiny stone vanished without a trace.
"Hm?" Dan turned to the clearing in confusion. He picked up another pebble, chucking it in the same direction as the last one.
That pebble also blinked out of view with no explanation. Dan approached the clearing, sticking out an arm. Slowly, he leaned in… and his hand faded from sight. He pulled his arm back. His hand came back into sight. He stuck it in again. He watched his hand vanish and reappear multiple times… and an idea popped into his head.
"Hey, guys," He stuck his arm in again. John moaned and turned around. "What is it no-OH MY GOD!" He jumped back with a yelp and a horrified pose.
He pulled out his hand and waved. "Ha! Gotcha!" Without another word, he stepped into the clearing. He could hear John shouting something at him, followed by the voice cutting off in suspicion. Dan looked ahead… and let out a slow exhale of surprise. Just moments ago, the clearing looked completely empty.
But now, Dan saw a large mansion standing in the clearing. From what Dan could make it, it had two stories and an attic. On the roof, Dan could make out something that looked like a landing pad… but it was too big for a helicopter. The mansion looked amazing, to say the least.
"Whoa…" he heard Julie utter.
"A cloaking field," Fred realized, surveying the perimeter. "Smart!"
"Um, this is supposed to be the base?" Val asked. "I didn't expect it to be so… casual." Ben nudged her in the side. "Ever hear the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover'?"
"Hmm."
Dan looked to the dragons. Given the cloaking field around this place, he deduced them to be safe from public eyes. The Night Fury was in a sitting position, admiring the building like a portrait. The others were roaming around, recovering from the previous encounter with the Bloody Fists.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Taking it out, Dan saw an unknown number on the caller ID… and, curious, he answered. "Hello?"
"Welcome to your new home, Daniel."
He paused at the familiar voice. "M-Miss Brinnings? How-?"
Something in the air shimmered. A drone came into sight with a camera on its underside. Before everyone could pay much attention to it, the little machine flew up and away.
"Put me on speaker. I wish to address all of you."
Dan complied. "You're on."
"This manor was constructed ten years ago," Fiona began as everyone eyed the exterior. "For a time, it was the main base of operations for the elite team of agents ordered to bring you in. And during their stay, they converted the building to serve as a headquarters for you. Inside, along with the standard necessities, you will find equipment vital for your training."
"So what's inside?" Val asked.
"Enter, and you will find out," Fiona answered. "Leave the dragons outside, but worry not. This location has a special place for them as well."
The Night Fury tilted his head at those words but remained stationary. Dan could tell he trusted Fiona to keep her word. The dragon turned his eyes to Dan and gave a slight nod, urging him to continue.
Dan approached the main doors and pushed them open. He was greeted by the sight of a living room complete with a bookcase, a couch, a wooden table, and a large flat-screen TV. A nearby archway revealed somewhere Dan guessed to be the kitchen.
"Ha ha ha!" John rushed past Dan, almost shoving him over in the process. "Oh, this is so CRASH!" Julie ran after him and everyone else made their way inside. A giggling Julie made a beeline for the couch and belly-flopped on top of it. "Iloveit, Iloveit, Iloveit, Iloveit!"
"Chill, you guys! It's just the first room!" Ben shouted. Val stepped further inside, looking all around. "Alright… not too shabby. What's next on the tour?"
"Consider this your home-away-from-home in New York City, much like your ancestors' own base- Dragon's Edge- was for Berk," Fiona continued. "I'll leave the lot of you to map out the rest of the mansion, such as the five rooms on the second floor that will be your living quarters. For now, head into the hallway and take the door on the left."
The mentioned hallway was near the living room, along with some stairs that led to the next floor. And just as Fiona said, a door on the left lay untouched. Dan was the first to open it and proceed down the stairs.
"Great. The basement," Ben spoke. "How exciting."
Dan flipped a light switch… and heard the sound of something starting up. One by one, bright, sapphire overhead lights flickered on, illuminating a metallic corridor with various different rooms. At the end of the corridor was a large open space with something that looked like… stables?
"Okay, I take it back," Ben added. "Very exciting."
"In the mansion's sub-levels, you can access equipment to assist in your mission. Here, you will find a medical bay, a training area, a stable for your dragons, and a research laboratory for Fred's research."
"Whoa, really? Cool!" The young genius smiled.
"But none of these are more important than the M.E.D,"
Dan cocked an eyebrow. "Uh, what?"
"The second door on the right, next to the medical bay," Fiona replied. The team located the room without error and stepped inside. They were treated to the sight of a short corridor… leading to a small chamber. A central console stood off to the side, which Fred immediately approached with astonishment. "This is… this looks so advanced."
No one paid any attention to him, for their eyes were trained on something in the middle of the chamber. A part of the floor had a circle etched into it, and within the circle's perimeter was something that looked like a wide treadmill.
From the console, Fred narrowed his eyes at something. "What's this? 'Genetic Archive'?"
"This is the Memory Exploration Device," Fiona said. Val just looked around at the room. "Where? All I see is this lousy piece of exercise equipment."
"Heed Ben's words that looks can be deceiving, Miss Harper," the director replied. "For five whole years, this was the Order's secret project. Innovations and research in genetic analysis ahead of the rest of the world, where will be able to look through a new pair of eyes. The M.E.D. is one of the most important tools you can use to train."
Dan shrugged. "Okay… if it means I won't get pushed around by the Fists. Let's see what this thing can do." He offered his phone to Val, who reluctantly took it. She moved over to the console with Fred still ogling at what lay before him. Just as Dan stepped onto the treadmill, Fred turned to the phone.
"Ma'am, what's this about a genetic archive? And what-?"
"Patience. Do you see the button on the lower right-hand corner?"
"Uh, yes."
"Press it."
Fred placed a palm on it and pushed it down. Instantly, the console switched on and the treadmill activated. "Excellent. The main systems and omnidirectional treadmill are now online."
"Wait, omnidirectional?" Dan repeated. He took a few steps forward and back to test it out… and then to the side. To his amazement, he remained in a stationary position. "Whoa…"
"Totally next-gen…" John whispered in awe.
"Now, pull the lever on the left. The second phase of the startup process should activate." Fred managed to locate a small lever jutting out of the console and pulled it into an upward-facing position. Just as he did so, the circle around the treadmill lit up a blue color… and two halves of a dome rose up from underneath Dan.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait!" he called, startled. "Is this part of it?"
"Absolutely."
The dome closed meters over Dan's head, encasing him inside. Lights from inside the dome washed over his body… and a mechanical voice filled the air.
"DNA signature identified. Progress: zero percent. Searching for timeframe of first known recording."
"Wait, recording?" Dan repeated confusedly. "What's-"
"Recording located within genetic archive. Loading recording… complete. Memory match locked and ready. Awaiting manual activation."
"Fred?" Fiona asked. "On the monitor in front of you, there should be a prompt that reads 'Initiate'." The young man glanced down to the screen. He could see DNA spirals, a heart monitor, a brain scan, a motion capture of Dan within the dome, and his name… along with the name of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.
But the prompt Fiona had spoken of was like a bright lamp his moth could not resist. "Okay, Dan… you ready?"
"Y-yeah… uh, wait, r-ready for what?!" came the call from inside the dome.
Fred shrugged. "I'll take that as a maybe." With one finger, he pressed on the prompt and it beeped at his touch.
"Initiating sequence," From small barely-noticeable holes at the bottom of the dome, jets of blue gas were sprayed inside like a misty cloud. Dan gasped at the sight of it. "W-what?! D-director?! Director? If you can hear me, what… what the hell is this?!"
"Stay calm, Daniel," Fiona spoke. On the monitor, a percentage was filled up by the dozens. Ten percent… twenty percent… thirty percent… and so on. "This gas was created by our finest scientists, designed to target your very DNA. Once you inhale this, the ancestral genes within you will awaken, and your brain will be transported back in time. Prepare to witness and experience the life of your ancestor, starting from his days at the bottom of the tribe."
"What-what was thaaAACK!" Dan never got the chance to finish his sentence before the monitor hit one hundred percent… and the blue gas was whiffed up his nose. In nanoseconds, the gas particles infiltrated his bloodstream and connected to his DNA. His whole body felt like it was given a jumpstart. His eyes lost their color, replaced by a blurry field… and his mind blacked out.
"Memory synchronization... achieved."