The Gentle Sniper
Chapter 14: Rebuilding Bridges
A/N: Hey, Starry! New people! Current reviewers! Welcome all!
Review Responses:
starlightandpie: GUESS WHO FINALLY CAUGHT UP!
Things seem to be going well (or as well as it can be with fishlegs getting kneecapped and astrid finding out about her uncle) and I'm looking forward to hiccup and astrid getting their feelings sorted!
I feel like something's going to go wrong with hiccup's gamble tbh, someone's gonna get hurt bc hiccup tried to get drago out in the open.
ALSO I'm very glad hiccup didn't have to kill astrid's uncle but I still feel like he's hiding something because the way he ended that conversation felt off to me.
I LOVE the relationship between hiccup and cami, and I really really loved shy fishlegs (HEATHER GET YOUR MAN).
I want to see how hiccup brings up the conversation between astrid and finn, and I want to see how they reconnect.
I really hope gobber saying he didn't have anyone to lose isn't foreshadowing because I don't want him to die. He seems very cool. Can't wait to see what happens next!
Talk about a wall of text. lol. Well, all I will say about the chapters to come is hold onto your hat! Things will get hectic soon. With all the things you mentioned you like, I hope to continue the trend there ;)
CHSHiccstrid: Oh darn this story. It's got so many emotions. I don't know how to feel. I feel like there is more I'm not being told. Well, I hope this bridge doesn't take as long as construction workers usually take on them. I kinda need my favourite power couple to solve this together.
Emotional turmoil? I did that? That's new. Go me, lol. And you're right. There is more that you're not being told. But you'll live.
CajunBear73: Hiccup was successful in ticking Stoick off, at least… but he's no closer to getting to Drago now than before.
Astrid got a clue of what, and has yet to understand the why of her Uncle's betrayal… Soon, I think she's going to realize it.
CB73
As it turned out while I was writing this, she won't find out the 'why' quite as soon as you might think she will.
NadderoftheStar: I nearly forgot what happened. Bad me. But here comes DRAGO BLUDVIST! And a shot Fishlegs. Oh well… but Hiccstrid shall be developed indeed…
Very true that.
Now, on with the story.
…
Three individuals were standing at the foot of a certain bed in a room in the hospital.
"So as you can see, my son here was shot in both knees. He won't be able to walk for months, and likely not as well as he could before this happened at that," stated Helga. "I do hope he'll be able to tell us who did this to him."
"Likewise," muttered Hiccup. "Do you know where it happened?"
"At the soap factory where the Outcast prisoners work, according to Frode and Ulf; the paramedics who found and brought him here."
"Alright. Well, rest assured that I'll arrange for an investigation to begin first thing tomorrow, Mrs Ingerman."
"Drop the formalities, Hiccup. You know you can call me Helga, especially with how long my son and yourself have been friends."
"I let this happen on my watch, to my friend while he was on Berk and I don't know who did it, or even that it had happened until you called me. If I did, then I could talk to you as a family friend."
Helga simply sighed. "Classic Hiccup. Putting blame on yourself for things you can't control. It's quite frankly fucking stupid. To hel with that, you hear?"
"Whether it is or not, I don't care. Now, if you don't mind bringing Cami and I a chair? I'd like to stay with Fishlegs until he wakes up."
Helga sighed. "Cami, keep an eye on him and my son for me please? I'd love to stay and chat, but I am of course meant to be working right now."
"Got it. I'll make sure he won't blame himself more, Mrs Ingerman."
"Thank you. Now, I'll go have someone bring you both chairs." She said before she left.
When the door to the room shut and they were alone, Hiccup took out his phone and unlocked it, turning to face an unconscious Fishlegs with his legs cast and suspended in the air. Then he selected the camera app on his device.
"What are you doing?" Cami wondered.
"Making a reminder, since clearly I've been screwing up as of late." He responded, lining up the device and taking the picture.
…
Cami glanced at Hiccup as he drove the Humvee they were in. "No better time to discuss the mole, right?"
He paused, looked her way, and sighed. "Do we need to? I mean, Finn is in our custody and Fishlegs is in the hospital. Our mission is done. If we open that new can of worms, who would get hurt next?"
"There's just as much chance of that happening if we don't open it."
Hiccup sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that. Alright. Who do you think it is?"
"Mildew. It's the most likely reason why he ran."
"What if it's a trick? What if he ran in the hopes that we would go after him, and the real mole could remain hidden?"
"That's a disconcerting thought, Haddock."
"Hey, you brought it up. We should be thorough, though, because doing otherwise gets people killed, as we've seen."
"You're right, so what do you want me to do about it?"
"Hold that thought," said Hiccup, pulling over before taking his phone out and glancing at the screen.
9:30 am, NC: On my way to see you and whoever's left in your squad today, Hiccup Haddock. It'll be nice to see you again after so long.
Hiccup paled and quickly stuffed the device into his left pocket again. "So, where were we?"
"You've gone pale, and you look terrified." Cami noted, looking at him. "What was in that text to make you so scared?"
"Nora's coming here," he muttered. "I'm going to have my ass handed to me."
"Okay. Did she want to spar with you?"
"No, but she will when she finds out that most of the Draugr Squad is dead. Or she'll beat up Finn, if she's in a good mood."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, Hiccup. We should instead stay focused on what we're doing right now. After this, I'll speak to Viggo, since Gobber told me they talked a few days ago."
"I'll join you once we're done here. But you're right, we should focus on what we're doing right now." He murmured, before checking for incoming traffic and setting off again.
Sometime later, the pair entered the police station. "I want the word out for Mildew Villager's arrest." Hiccup announced, speaking to Atali Wing and Heather, the former who was on dispatch and the latter within earshot. "Also, I want the soap factory down in Outcast lane cordoned off as soon as possible, on account of armed assault by Mildew taking place there."
"Someone was assaulted. Friend of yours?" asked Atali, taking in the green camo uniform Hiccup and Cami both wore, complete with a hip-holster and MP7 each.
"Yes. Lieutenant Ingerman."
"Alright. I'll tell Throk, but you'll need to wait a while, Sir." she replied.
"Fine with me." Hiccup turned and sat down on the waiting sofa that faced the reception desk; sitting beside Cami, who had taken a seat while Hiccup and Atali conversed.
"Who is Lieutenant Ingerman?" Inquired Heather, peering at them from around the side of her computer monitor.
"You know him as Fishlegs. He was shot in both knees."
Predictably, she shot up, looking shocked and concerned in equal measure. "Is he alright?!" She gasped.
"He'll live, but he won't be walking anywhere for a long time."
"I want to see him as soon as I'm finished for the day." She stated firmly, her expression changing from concern to determination just before she spoke.
"Roger that, Heather. But you seem worried for him. Why? You don't know him that well."
"That's a work in progress. We're thinking of going on a date."
"Really?" She nodded. "Well then, I of course have to tell you that you better not hurt him." He warned.
"Rest assured, I have no intention of doing that."
Hiccup observed Cami for a moment before replying. "I didn't think so, but I had to be sure."
"So what, are you Fishlegs' protective older brother now, Haddock?" Quipped Cami while smirking.
Heather giggled and Hiccup smiled at her words. "Pretty much. I'm older than him at least, so that part checks out."
A short while later, the door that led to the cubicles where the officers worked opened and Throk and Atali approached. "What's this I hear about armed assault happening without me already knowing?" the commissioner inquired. "Tell me everything, Captain Haddock."
…
The Humvee drove through the streets of Berk in the direction of the soap factory. Astrid was in the passenger seat while Hiccup drove.
She glanced his way. "We should probably talk about where we're at later. Meet me at the Dane Spread café at 6pm."
"Will do, even if that's a little bit sudden. What brought this on?"
"A chat I had with my Uncle last night. Your friend who was at Eret's funeral, Cami- is that her name?"
"Yeah," Hiccup confirmed.
"Yeah, didn't she tell you about that? She was there yesterday."
"She mentioned that you were loud. She didn't go into specifics and I didn't - and don't - want to pry."
"Good. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Astrid. Now-"
Merry Christmas, you filthy animals.
But he was cut off, as his phone started ringing in his pocket.
"You went with that as a ringtone?" she queried, raising an eyebrow at him.
Hiccup smiled as he pulled over. "Mhm. It's a great line in a great movie." He said, taking out his phone before pressing the red icon to ignore it and resuming the journey.
"It sure is a great movie. So, who was that, soldier boy?"
He chuckled at that. "Boy? I'm taller than you. And it doesn't matter. I'll take care of it later."
"But are you older? I was born in '94. And okay then." She shrugged, dropping the matter of the call.
Hiccup smirked. "I was born in '92, so yes. I am older, young 'un."
Her lips curled upwards. "So it's like that, is it? Flaunting the two year age gap between us?"
He grinned. "Yup, I'll be reminding you of the age gap from now on." He said teasingly. "Now, I'm curious. Where do we stand exactly?"
She shrugged. "I guess we're friends. At worst, acquaintances. We seem to get along well, regardless of whether or not we should. Was your assigned mission a personal affair?"
"It has been for a while, but I recently found out that there is more to your uncle's actions than I originally thought."
"Then I guess we're good."
"Are we really good, considering what you know about me?"
"Well, I know you weren't lying, but beyond that, I don't know." She sighed. "I've been avoiding diving deep into that rabbit hole myself, but I plan to discuss it later with you, at that cafe I mentioned."
"Alright." Hiccup replied, thus ending their conversation until they arrived at the soap factory.
Astrid was quicker than him in getting out of the vehicle and ascending the steps. "Now, hurry up, you. No slacking!" She called back to him, glancing his way over her shoulder without breaking pace.
"Yes ma'am." He responded, as he got out of the Humvee and followed after her. As he did, he brought his phone out and glanced at the screen.
1 Missed Call: Dad, Mobile.
There was also a text message from him.
9:55 am, Dad: Meet me in my office on base as soon as possible. We need to talk.
I'm busy at the moment but will be with you soon, sir. Hiccup sent back, before finally entering the factory.
"-in trouble?" Hiccup heard the receptionist ask Astrid.
She shook her head. "No, you're not in trouble. We just want to ask you a few questions about what happened here yesterday."
"For instance the whereabouts of your colleague, who worked in that guard station over there." added Hiccup.
The room was silent for several seconds as Hiccup and Astrid stared expectantly at the man. Finally, the receptionist sighed and nodded. "I'll tell you everything I can remember about what happened."
"Good. Now, we'll need you to come with us," said Astrid.
In a different part of Berk, Cami and detective Hofferson were just finishing up a search of Mildew's bedroom.
The house in question had only one floor, with a flat roof and floor-to-ceiling windows with the blinds drawn for each, as well as short brick walls on either side of the steps that led to the front door and side garage, which separated the steps from a modest front garden, framed by patches of long grass.
"A box of cigarettes and pictures of his three ex-wives." Noted Bjorn Hofferson, observing the three frames on a wall in the old man's bedroom while holding the cigarette box that had been found on his bedside table with a latex glove-covered hand. "Were it not for the picture Captain Haddock showed me after my boss asked me to come here - the one regarding Lieutenant Ingerman's current state - I would suspect this was a fabrication,"
"And if I hadn't seen Fishlegs with my own eyes, I would probably agree," sighed Cami. "So, I guess we just leave now?"
"Well, I would like to bring a forensic team here. They could possibly find something we've missed, though I doubt it. So for the most part, you are correct, Captain Cami. But I have a question for you."
"Shoot."
"If you are a Captain, doesn't that rank conflict with Captain Haddock's?"
"Oh, I'm not part of the military, technically. My family does work on behalf of the Danish government. Sometimes that means working with the army. Work of the 'I tell you and I'll have to kill you' sort. But that work involves ranks, in the same way a police officer can be called sergeant or captain."
"Ah I see." Bjorn shot her a knowing smile. "Say no more. I'd rather not have to be killed."
Cami smiled back. "Fine with me. Let's go meet up with the others now."
…
"Well, that was a dead end if I ever saw one," muttered Hiccup.
Hiccup and Cami were now in the humvee, in the garage back at base, with Hiccup and Astrid having brought the receptionist back to the police station for questioning. Then, after Bjorn and Cami got back, Hiccup drove her and the humvee back to base. He had been entirely silent through the whole journey until just now.
"Really?" Questioned Cami. "He didn't say anything?"
"Oh, he said stuff, just nothing helpful. He was as much in the dark as we were. Apparently he had no idea that his colleague and Mildew were in league with each other and planning to leave. He also mentioned that Mildew threatened to kill him if he thought of calling the police on them."
"Right," she sighed. "Hopefully the police can find out something more from him. So what do we do now?"
"I think it's time we let Snotlout into the know. But first, my dad wants to talk to me."
"You know that won't go well. Snotlout probably won't believe you."
"What?" Hiccup paused. "No, not about Drago. About the time Eret, Fishlegs and I went on deployment."
"Still don't recommend it, but it's your funeral."
"How could that be worse than what's already happened?" He pointed out.
"I don't know, but let's not tempt fate, shall we? Or the gods, for that matter."
"Well, if it goes wrong somehow, feel free to say you told me so later. Now, I have to go talk to my dad and Gobber about some things. Go get Snotlout, Cami, then bring him to me." Then he exited the Humvee before Cami could say anything else.
…
"In the hopes that you'll be as forthcoming as you were yesterday, what is your reason for being on Drago's side, Gobber? I suspect bribery, since you've been quiet for this long. Care to confirm or deny that?" asked Hiccup, stepping into Gobber's office sometime later.
"You came all the way to see me and ask that? I'm flattered." Gobber drawled. "No, I don't take bribes from Drago. My reason for joining him is much more simple; I can't stand seeing Stoick destroy himself on the inside. Or you, for that matter."
"Meaning what, exactly?"
"You know exactly what I mean. But if I need to spell it out for you, then I will. Fire, funeral, one less parent and how you two ended up as a result of that happening."
"Yes, thank you for that trip down memory lane." Hiccup sighed. "Moving on now, you think the powers that be would allow me to disband the Draugr Squad? Or for all the personnel involved to retire?" Another sigh. "This mission involving Finn has been taxing."
"Aye, it has, Laddie. I'll look into it, but I make no promises."
"Alright. Now, I have somewhere to be. Nice talking, Gobber." said Hiccup.
"Goodbye, Laddie."
Stepping out of Gobber's office and heading down the hallway, Hiccup knocked on the door of his father's office before entering when he heard the man call him in. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes. Close the door and sit down. We need to discuss what you know about Drago. Tell me everything Gobber mentioned. And don't feed me that 'it's classified' shit. We both know it's not."
Hiccup sat down in one of the chairs in front of Stoick's desk. "How about instead we cover the fact that you are in league with Drago and have been for the last four years? That's one thing Gobber mentioned."
"I have my reasons."
Hiccup rolled his eyes at that. "Yes, yes, you want to keep me safe. As if I'm not able to protect myself well enough right now."
"Your dwindling team would suggest otherwise, Son."
A second later, Stoick's head snapped back as Hiccup's left fist met his face. "And that would suggest that you shouldn't bring that up, Major General. Particularly since your friend is the cause of their deaths. You get me, Sir?"
"You know assaulting a superior isn't allow-"
"It is if the superior in question has committed treason indirectly, through inaction and secrecy. You and Gobber are both guilty of that. Consider yourself lucky that I'm not going to arrest either you or him, for the time being. Now, if you have nothing else to say, then I'll take my leave."
"I can tell you the real reason I'm trying to protect you."
"And that is?"
"Valka is alive."
Hiccup frowned. "You're telling me that my mother is alive."
"That's right."
"Alright." Hiccup sighed and stood up, heading for the door. "Whatever you say."
"It's true! Drago took her that night, then caused the fire to make everyone think she died. You have to believe me, son."
Hiccup stopped with his hand on the door handle but didn't turn around. "Let's say that did happen. Why would Drago keep her alive for four years? What would be the point?"
"Leverage. Why do you think I haven't tried to do anything to Drago?"
"Because you're afraid," and with that, Hiccup left the room and headed in the direction of the base's parking lot, intending to go and find Cami.
But, as ever, fate had other ideas. This was made clear when the drone of the engines of a C-130 reached him after he stepped outside as a result of the large aircraft being on its final approach.
Nora Clementine, his former close-combat instructor who worked to train soldiers for the Jaeger Corps, the official Danish special forces unit and a former branch of the Danish Army, had now arrived with her employers.
"Well, duty calls as usual, I guess," sighed Hiccup before he began to head for the hangar.
…
After the aircraft had pulled into the hangar and the door opened, Nora descended the steps built into it, closely followed by four men dressed in the standard Jaeger Corps uniform: green camo and black head-concealing nets and carrying MP5's.
They separated, moving to stand facing in four directions like the points on a compass. Ignoring them, she looked around as best as she could with the C-130's fuselage blocking her peripheral vision.
"What? No welcoming party? Guess they heard I was coming and ran." The muscular forty-five-year-old woman mused as she looked left then right to take in the sight of the mostly empty hangar. Empty besides a dozen people either inspecting or performing maintenance on various aircraft. Like a blond-haired man that she observed working away on a helicopter on the far right side of the large building's interior.
"It would seem so," a familiar voice replied, coming from her left.
She took a few steps forward before turning in that direction and grinning, seeing Hiccup emerge from around the nose of the aircraft. "Captain Haddock."
He smiled back at her, warily. "Nora Clementine. I do hope you don't want to spar with me at the moment. Do you?"
"That depends. Where is the rest of your squad?"
"Busy, incapacitated or dead. What's Aalborg air base like?"
"Noisy. This place is already better in that regard."
"Ahem." Another voice spoke, and they both turned to face a man standing in the doorway of the plane directly behind Nora.
He was a buff, tall man with a weathered face and brown hair streaked with strands of silver. He wore the officer dress uniform with the insignia for a lieutenant colonel woven into both of his sleeves and an envelope poking out of the top of his breast pocket, while he held a large suitcase in his right hand. "Hate to break up the reunion, Captain Haddock, but I have something to give to you."
"Lieutenant Colonel Ulf, sir." Hiccup snapped off a salute. "I wasn't aware you were coming here today."
"That was the idea, Captain. Now, if you don't mind leading the way to a briefing room or somewhere more discreet. I'd like as few people as possible to know that I'm here."
Hiccup quickly glanced around the hangar and spotted Gruffnut looking their way from his position on the far right side of the hangar. "Of course, Sir. Follow me, Sir."
Once the group had reached and entered the briefing room on the base, Ulf handed Hiccup both the envelope and suitcase he had with him.
Hiccup pocketed the former and dropped the latter by his feet. Then the General spoke up again. "You're being drawn from the reserve now that a few of those in the Jaeger Corps are retiring next year. Nora is here to ensure you're still fit for duty, while also giving anyone you deem suitable a chance to train for the Corps."
Snotlout, thought Hiccup.
"Alright. So when do I begin re-training?"
"Tomorrow," said Nora. "Take today to think about anyone you think could do from training for the corps, like Ulf said."
Snotlout. Prepare to see Helheim tomorrow.
"Will do. So, where are you going to stay, Nora?"
"Don't worry, I booked a hotel. Loki's surprise is the name, I think." Then she paused. "This place has a thing for Norse mythology, huh?"
"Tell me about it. So, what about you, Sir? Am I right in assuming you won't be staying?"
He nodded. "You would be correct, Captain. Besides giving you your new orders and uniform, I'm just here to take your guests off your hands. Then I've got other bases to visit." He added, with a purposeful glance at the suitcase.
Hiccup glanced at the suitcase, then back at the colonel. "Right, I get it. The cells are on the floor above. Head to the end of the hallway and there's a staircase that takes you up."
"Much obliged, Haddock. We'll take our leave now."
The General left the room first, and Nora followed, but not before adding: "You best be ready for me to go hard on you tomorrow, Hiccup."
"That implies that you went easy on me at some point. I don't recall that."
"Oh, good. You still remember how my training goes. That's a good sign. Means I'll have to up my game tomorrow."
Hiccup paled. "Please don't."
All his plea earned him was a laugh and a shake of the head from the woman before she was gone.
Sighing to himself in resignation, Hiccup picked up the suitcase and left the room.
Getting outside once again, a voice called out to him.
"Hiccup! Wait up!" The man in question looked in the direction the words came from and saw Gruffnut running his way.
Well, this will be a bit awkward to explain, thought Hiccup as he glanced at the suitcase he was holding in his left hand.
He set the object down and waited for the pilot to reach him, the blond stopping to avoid a jeep going by before he reached Hiccup.
"Alright, two questions: one, why are the Jaeger Corps here and two, what's in the suitcase? You didn't have that with you earlier." Gruffnut pointed out.
"They're here to take Finn Hofferson away, and this suitcase has the Jaeger Corps standard uniform and veil inside."
Gruffnut stared at him, then his eyes widened. "You mean-"
"And now I've said too much. See you around, Gruffnut." Hiccup resumed walking away, but Gruffnut followed him, undeterred.
"You're one of them? C'mon, you have to tell me that much."
"No, I'm really extra sure that I don't," countered Hiccup, glancing at his tag-along.
"If you are one of them, why cover it up? I'd let someone know at least."
"Well, I'm not one to boast, Gruff. But for the record, some people do know about this. Now, I'd really like to get home now. So goodbye." And he walked away without another word.
Finally reaching the parking lot at the base, Hiccup saw Cami return with the Humvee, Snotlout in the passenger seat.
She pulled into the nearby garage, then she and Snotlout got out. "Took you long enough. I was beginning to think you wouldn't come back," said Hiccup, as he approached them.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you cuz. What's in the suitcase?"
"I don't feel like telling you, so I won't. Did he give you any trouble, Cami?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle." She shrugged.
"Alright. Well, I'm heading home now. Want to come with?"
She nodded. "Sure thing."
"Okay. And here's a bit of advice, Snotlout: don't be late tomorrow. If you are, you'll regret it."
He crossed his arms. "I'm not scared of you."
"Good. Because I'm not the one to look out for." At Snotlout's puzzled expression, he continued. "You'll figure it out tomorrow. Oh, and for your information, the reason I've only been on one tour is to do with the contents of this suitcase in a way," He held up the object in question as he spoke.
"So you're chickening out?" Snotlout sneered. "Figures, you're still as weak as you were in high school."
"Oh. Cami, you mind holding this for a moment?" Hiccup asked, handing the suitcase to her, which she wordlessly accepted.
Turning back to Snotlout, he approached his cousin, who leered at him. "What are you going to do? Tickle me? Hahaha-echk!" He garbled, following Hiccup's fist making sudden contact with his throat.
Shoving Snotlout onto his back with both hands, Hiccup looked around before crouching close to him. "Listen up, Snotlout, because I'll only say this once. Bring your a-game tomorrow. Otherwise you can expect to feel like a tenderized chicken when Nora is done with you. Clear?"
Snotlout gave a nod, even as his thoughts were elsewhere. Who in Odin's name is Nora?
"Good. Don't be late." Then, Hiccup rose and turned to Cami. "Let's go."
At that, the pair got into Cami's car and took off.
…
Once back home and in his bedroom, Hiccup opened the envelope he had received.
This letter is classified, and as such should be delivered in person.
To whom it may concern.
You are being returned to active duty as a reserve Jaeger Corps operative, provided you are deemed suitable by your designated combat instructor.
Should you be selected, you will be deployed onto the mission described below.
Best of luck to you.
Further down the page, in bold red capital letters, two words greeted Hiccup, before the letter continued on in black lettering.
MISSION DETAILS
After finishing the letter, Hiccup headed for his kitchen, where Cami was eating a sandwich. Opening the drawer where he kept his kitchen utensils, Hiccup took out a lighter and held it to a corner of the letter.
Moving to his kitchen bin, Hiccup removed the lid. Once most of the paper was little more than a blackened mass of carbon, he dropped the letter, stamped out the flames and scooped up the still smoking and ashy remains of the paper from his kitchen floor, placing them into the bin. He then washed his hands clean from ash in his kitchen sink.
Turning to Cami, who had watched the whole process in silence while she ate her sandwich, he spoke. "I'm going to the gym now. I won't be back for a while, so make yourself at home. I can log into Netflix for you, if you want."
She swallowed her last bite of sandwich before replying. "Yes, please."
Hiccup smiled. "This way, then."
…
When five PM arrived, Astrid and Heather left the police station together to find Hiccup waiting outside, leaning against his motorcycle and dressed in a brown leather jacket that was opened to reveal a grey T-shirt. He also wore black tracksuit bottoms and trainers of matching colour. The shirt was a shade darker at the centre.
"Hello, ladies." Hiccup greeted.
"Hey," both replied in unison, with mild confusion.
"I'm here to tell you what room Fishlegs is in, Heather. He's in room 204 on the second floor at Eir General hospital. If anyone asks, tell them you're a friend of a friend of his. And, uh, I'm going to go shower now. I'll see you at that cafe in an hour, Astrid."
"Thank you, but I already know that. I have his number," stated Heather. "We talked earlier, as well."
"Oh. Well, this was a waste of time on my part then… bye, ladies."
After he drove off, Heather turned to Astrid. "I sense a date."
"Your senses are skewed, then. I just want to talk to him about some stuff. A date isn't exactly on the table right now."
"I have faith you'll get there eventually. Now, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Astrid."
"Bye, Heather. See you then," she waved as they parted ways.
…
A bit later, at the hospital, Heather approached the front desk after parking her silver 2012 Mercedes E-class; a car she had named 'Windshear'
"I'm looking for Fishlegs Ingerman. I'm a friend."
"Room 204," reported the receptionist after a few seconds of mouse and keyboard use, confirming what Fishlegs and Hiccup had told her earlier. "There are lifts at the end there." She told Heather, pointing in the direction of a corridor on Heather's left.
"Okay, thank you." Then Heather was gone, marching briskly down the walkway in her black leather shoes.
A brief lift ride later, Heather stepped out of the car, nearly bumping into a woman with the name tag 'Helga' pinned to a mauve smock, with white trousers and black non-slip shoes below that.
"Steady on there, girlfriend." She chuckled. "How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a friend of mine called Fishlegs. He's in room 204. Do you know which one that is?"
"Friend? My son never mentioned having a girl as a friend."
"It's a recent development." Heather admitted. "So, you're his mother."
"Indeed I am." Helga smiled warmly as she looked Heather up and down. "You look nice."
Heather smiled. "Thank you."
"Well I shan't keep you. Room 204 is that one, as luck would have it." Said Helga, pointing at the room a little down the corridor from the lift.
"Thank you, Mrs Ingerman."
"You're welcome, dear."
They parted ways then, Heather heading down for the room and Helga entering the now vacant lift.
Entering the room, Fishlegs looked her way before smiling broadly. "Well, this is a surprise. Hello, Heather."
"Hi. Well, I can see now that I have a thing for choosing guys who then get shot. I think I might have cursed you and Eret both."
His smile fell a little, no longer reaching his eyes. "Possibly, even if that seems statistically unlikely. Thanks for the reminder, by the way."
"…Sorry. That was insensitive of me."
"Just don't bring it up again, please. I've been forced to look at my legs for the entire day, and I'm sick of it. But while we're on the subject, what are we going to do?"
Heather sat down on the foot of the bed. "About what?"
"About that date. Clearly I'm not going anywhere for a while."
"Simple. We'll have a date here. It's far from the most romantic venue, but I don't care about that. In fact, what's stopping us from having a date now?"
"My legs, for one. I'm not ready for that."
"I'm wearing my uniform from work, Fish. I'm not exactly the picture of preparedness myself. Face it, it's happening now. Now, scoot over as much as you can."
"Um, okay…" It was a slow and awkward affair for Fishlegs, with his legs still suspended in the air, but he succeeded after a minute or so when Heather finally got fed up and shoved his torso aside an inch or two and laid down in the vacant space.
Almost immediately, a large hand settled on her shoulder, hesitant at first, but Heather laid a hand atop his and turned to look at him. "Thank you Heather, for coming here," He said to her gratefully.
"You're welcome, Fishlegs."
…
"So, in the spirit of moving past what my uncle has done, who was Lieutenant No-Name to you?" Asked Astrid.
Hiccup and Astrid were sitting in a booth next to the window of a café; The Dane Spread, in downtown Berk. The café had decor that was reminiscent of an American diner from the fifties and was set to close in an hour. It was now six PM.
Apart from the members of staff who were busily cleaning the other booths or emptying the till Hiccup and Astrid were alone.
"A friend, much like Fishlegs and I." Hiccup began, in response to Astrid's earlier question. "We were the nerds of Berk Academy and cool with it. Then, at eighteen, we were conscripted. Well, I and No-name were. Fishlegs was rejected because of his weight. But he was determined to get into shape, and was able to get in the following year as a communications expert."
"Anyway, No-Name's thing was chemistry. Nobody understood chemistry like he did. His particular specialty was explosives, to the point of practically being a bomb encyclopedia all on his own. Then around six years later, No-Name was killed. You already know how, but it happened a week after his birthday. That's kinda ironic, isn't it?"
Astrid frowned down at the table between them. "This was a mistake. I'm bringing up bad memories, aren't I? I should go-"
"Stay. You're not. You didn't cause his death. Heck, we didn't know each other back then. It's. Not. Your. Fault." Hiccup said firmly.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping before she nodded. "Alright. If you're okay with this topic, then that's fine, but I'd like to talk about something else now."
"Alright. Where did you go to school?"
"Raven Point High." She answered, before smirking. "I guess that makes us rivals, you and I."
Hiccup shrugged. "I've never understood that. We're both Berkians. Who cares what school we went to?"
"Well, I was the captain of Raven Point girls' football team. Competition was everything back then." She sighed again. "But I see your point."
"Unhappy school life, huh? I've been there."
"You got ignored by most people?"
"Well, that too, but mostly bullied by my own cousin. Thankfully, that stopped when I was conscripted ten years ago." Then Hiccup's face darkened. "Only to encounter a bitter old man who was our drill sergeant and has now jumped ship."
"Sounds like we both have things that are stressing us out." Astrid paused, then grinned mischievously, even as a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "Do you want to have sex to forget about whatever is stressing us out? Since that worked well last time…"
"That depends. Are you up for it?"
She nodded slowly. "I think so. I guess at this point we're friends with benefits. We can try it out until we're ready to talk about our relationship, and then maybe move onto the next step, if you want?"
"Works for me. So, my place or your place?" asked Hiccup.
"How about my place this time?" suggested Astrid.
"Well I won't be able to stay the night or anything, just so you know."
"Fine with me. Let's go."
…
Nine PM.
The sound of keys being pushed into a keyhole.
A door opening.
A door closing.
A cat meowing.
A cat being ignored.
Another door opening.
That same door closing.
"Good, you're awake still. You think you can get me in touch with your mother to find where Drago is hiding?"
"I can, yes. Give me your phone."
Touchscreen keys being pressed.
Other keys being pressed.
A dial-tone ringing.
The dial-tone falling silent.
A feminine voice speaking in the confines of the room.
"This is Ze Great Camicazi. I want to pass along a request to agent Bertha Boggs of the DSIS, leader of the 'Bog Burglars' unit, at the earliest convenience."
A few seconds of silence passed, then a mezzo-soprano voice responded. "Hello to you, too. What is your request, prodigal daughter of mine?" Asked Bertha.
"Drago Bludvist. I want you to send me everything you can find on him, in the interest of the safety of all the people on Berk."
"Alright. Tomorrow at noon I will meet with you and I will explain what I can and cannot do in this matter. I expect you to be there no less than five minutes early."
"That's perfectly fine with me."
"Good. Now, goodnight, daughter dearest. I shall see you then."
Cami gave Hiccup his phone back. "So, how was your night? I'm guessing fun, since you were away for three hours." Stated Cami, idly noticing his hair was more unruly than usual and there was a lovebite on his neck, just below his right ear.
He smiled broadly. "You'd be right about that. It was great. Astrid and I are friends with benefits now."
Cami shot him a thumb's up. "Congratulations. Want to watch something on Netflix with me before we turn in?"
Hiccup looked at his wall-mounted TV, on and displaying 'Better Call Saul' "I think I will. Is it as good as Breaking Bad?" He asked, noting how the first three episodes were underlined by red.
"It's got Mike Ehrmantraut in it."
"Really? My spirit animal is alive again? Move over, Cami. We're watching us some Better Call Saul."
She grinned at him while she scooted over, and he sat down. "This brings back memories, doesn't it?"
"Mhm. Now hush, I want to watch." He told her, reaching for the remote that was beside her, bringing it over to him and pressing play.
Then they both snuggled into the couch as the show began.
"You're coming with me when I go to meet my mother."
"Agreed."
…
A/N: I wonder if anyone saw those reveals coming?
So I wrote a bonus (non-canon) scene. It was originally meant to be the first scene, but it doesn't quite work in my opinion. So I just left it here in its currently unfinished state at the recommendation of a friend.
Hope you enjoy it.
Bye.
…
Bang!
At the noise, Hiccup shot up, snatched his pistol from under his pillow, and scanned the room, only to relax as he registered the loud noise as not an IED explosion but someone knocking on his apartment door with too much vigour.
Bang!
Meow!
The comparatively quieter sound drew Hiccup's attention to Toothless, staring up at him from the floor, unimpressed at having been flung from the bed when his owner abruptly sat up.
"Sorry, Toothless, but that wasn't my fault. Blame whoever knocked on my door."
Bang!
Meow, the cat responded, glancing at the door of Hiccup's room.
Hiccup rolled his eyes and returned his pistol to its place underneath his pillow. "Yes, yes. I'll take care of it, bud."
Bang!
Emerging from his room, he spotted Cami already up and dressed while dragging her feet as she headed for his apartment door. "It woke you up as well, huh?"
She glanced his way and nodded. "Yeah, it did. It sounds almost like how my mother would knock on a door-"
Bang!
Cami groaned into her hands. "I think I tempted fate. Shit."
"I think so too. Want to hide in my room? If Bertha is here, then it'll be because you haven't called her. So she won't be happy right now."
Bang!
"If she finds out that I'm not here, then she'll just come back another time to try and find me. She's nothing if not patient. It's better I just talk to her."
Hiccup shrugged. "It's your funeral."
"Took you long enough," said the massive woman, dropping her fist that was ready to hit the door again once it opened.
Cami sighed before she and Hiccup stepped aside so she could enter. "Hi, Mum. What brings you here?"
The tall, buff redhead stooped a little to enter the apartment, then made sure to shut the door firmly behind her before answering. "I'm sure you know why. But here's a reminder: Suddenly, I find that my daughter's number is no longer active." Bertha's eyes slid to Hiccup's, then back to Cami. "I'm sure the idea was solely hers. I want an explanation."
"Did you really have to knock that loudly? You woke us up."
"Force of habit. Next time, I'll bring my lockpicking kit."
"Also, not calling you was actually Cami's idea. But if you don't believe me, then that's just too bad. Regardless, I have somewhere to be right now."
As if the universe wanted to prove his point, Hiccup's phone started ringing in that moment. It was his father.
"Sorry, I have to take this. Hello?"
"HADDOCK! MY OFFICE! NOW!"
Oh for Thor's sake, thought Hiccup, wincing as he held the device at arm's length, ears ringing.
Once the ringing had subsided, he looked at his phone while thinking on how to respond, but found that the man had already hung up.
"Well, he's just as loud as I remember. And here I thought he was getting old," commented Bertha. "What did you do to piss him off?"
"That was partially the manifestation of some unresolved issues between my father and I. Issues that decided to rear their collective head just then. It's also partially classified stuff. You know how it is. Speaking of issues, I wish you good luck, Cami."
"Thanks," she drawled. "Going to leave me to fend for myself, huh?"
"Yup. Also, when you're both done talking, I want you down at the base. I trust you'll remember to lock my door for me? I'll give you my keys."
"Got it, Haddock," she said, a hint of irritation seeping into her tone.
"Alright. Now, why don't you two go sit and talk it out in my living room? Better than standing in this hallway."
Bertha nodded. "Come along, daughter of mine."