Unintentional Hero

Author: Nightstar Fury of Nightstar Productions

Rated: M for a variety of things that will happen

Pairing: Hiccup/Astrid

Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD

66; Just In Time

Hayden and Avery had the best night after Theo's wedding, they made love for close to three hours-and completely sober, well, Hayden might have been a little tipsy but nevertheless he was completely aware of what he was doing and they used protection on top of it. Hayden's nightmares were never bad with her in his arms-one of the reasons he didn't mind her staying overnight. Now it was only two months until their wedding, Hayden had been home six months officially now from war but it wasn't getting any easier to cope with-if anything at all, it was getting much harder and worse to handle the constant flashbacks and nightmares the plagued his mind every single night. Hayden still woke up breathing heavily, and in cold sweats having no idea how he got marks on his body but realized that subconsciously did it to himself while reliving what actually happened in the nightmare-but he never told anyone what was going on.

Hayden's friends, fiance, and family knew something was wrong, Hayden was getting quieter and distant. Hayden would still hangout with them, laugh, make is seem like he was having a good time but truthfully he was just miserable and suffering with the thoughts in his mind. Theo and Avery were first to noticed that in any wedding planning to Avery and Hayden's wedding in two months that Hayden kept spacing off and getting incredibly distracted: he would just say he was tired and laugh it off that he was totally fine but they knew better. They knew something had been wrong since the morning of Theo's wedding when Hayden pulled a gun on them and didn't know where he was upon waking up. That actually scared Avery to death to know Hayden slept with a gun under his pillow and had the safety off, and the gun loaded in under five seconds.

Everything for Hayden and Avery's wedding was just about ready, they had their marriage license-it just had to be filled out and signed by the minister and witnesses after the wedding took place. Everything had been paid for, it was all set, they just had to do final fittings for Avery's dress and wait for May to come. More on Hayden's new job, it was in the works finally and he was overseeing everything pertaining to the Berk one. Building plans, stables, housing, feeding areas, and more. He was told to draw it out and build it to his vision since he'd be running it. Hopefully it would be ready in about six months or so, then once that blue-print had been drawn out, it was sent to the other islands so they could start building theirs while Hayden interviewed the people for the job of lead trainer on that island since Hayden clearly couldn't be in two places at once. Working for him would be Jasmine, Ethan, Heather, Dylan, Camille, Theo, and Avery. He'd have others two but these people were his trainers, people he'd personally trained himself.

Hayden was officially twenty-three now, he actually enjoyed being able to celebrate his birthday with his twin sister, family, and friends. Today he and his friends were all getting together for lunch after a rousing game of laser tag. It seemed fun-if not for the fact it was played in a dark room that was set up like a battle field with places to hide behind, crouch, shoot, things could fall on them, and the the best part: the suits they wore would light up in the place they'd been hit or if someone ran by a bomb area, their suit would light up orange, yellow, and red to illustrate being blown up-as well they'd get a little palm-pilot to hold to know if their teammates were wounded or killed. Hayden wasn't fond of this idea given he'd seen all of that first hand in war-why would his friends think this it'd be fun to do this kind of thing. Ethan, Dylan, and Theo didn't mind it so Hayden agreed to take part so they wouldn't think something was wrong.

Hayden stood in front of the laser tag building with the others, Avery was holding his hand as his eyes remained focused on the sign on the front of the building: The War Zone. He really wasn't looking forward to this. "Come on babe, it'll be so much fun," Avery giggled pulling him along, Hayden faked the smile as he walked alongside her while they entered the building and went to the main desk to sign up.

"Welcome to War Zone. Laser tag central, going a few rounds are ya?" said the clerk with a smile. Hayden and the others nodded, "Alright, this is how it works: you pay for your time inside. $10 for one round-fifteen minutes, $20 for two-thirty minutes, or $40 for a full hour. Price covers your suit rentals, palm-pilot trackers, and guns. When ya get inside, you'll hear a bomb go off, that's the signal to start-inside when you are shot, your suit will glow dark red-like blood. If you get trapped under something-you glow blue. Step in a bomb area-your suit will take on the colors of fire. In this game, if you are hit more than two times-you die until the next round. Round ends with all players from the enemy side are taken down."

"Sounds fun," Seth grinned.

"Good then! So what will it be boys and girls?" the clerk smiled wide.

"Let's go two rounds, don't wanna miss lunch at the mall," Olivia offered softly.

"I'm down for it." the other agreed. They all paid the twenty dollars for thirty minutes, then were taken to the side room to get the suits on-of course they had to be army design. They were all given a handgun, and an M16. Oh he already hated this.

"So what will be your teams?" the man asked now as he was getting ready to program the trackers for them.

"Couples Vs Couples split up into two teams?" Theo offered.

"Works for me. Hayden, Avery, Theo, Olivia, Jasmine, Dylan, and Camille-you guys can be one team, and we'll make up the rest of the other team." Seth suggested. The clerk now programmed the palm-pilots buy scanning their fingerprints. This would allow the suit to send the signals to the palm-pilots if anyone got hurt or killed.

"Your suits have radios linked to your team, you start in five minutes so find your spots to hide and when you hear the bomb, it begins." the clerk reminded as he headed out. When the doors opened, the two teams broke off and got into positions to start with-one minute in the dark and Hayden was taken back to war when they did missions on the dark.

'It's good, Hayden...just a game-that's all it is...' Hayden told himself-four minutes passed and the bomb was heard. The first round was interesting: only two people on his team got hit but didn't die-Olivia and Avery, Hayden didn't have a fond memory of when she'd been stabbed in Afghanistan when she got shot during the round. They took out the other team pretty easily after only ten minutes of running around and shooting. Most of those shots were made my Jasmine, Hayden, and Theo. "Second round starting in two minutes!" came the announcers voice, their suits reset and they broke off again.

Another bomb sounded as Hayden got into position behind a wall, Theo covering him while Avery was between them. "Enemies spotted, Lieutenant Colonel-three of them behind the wall to your nearest left," came Dylan's voice to the radio piece on Hayden.

"Got it, how you wanna play this?" Theo looked at Hayden now.

"Take 'em out," Hayden ordered, Theo nodded but before Hayden could react he heard a bomb go off as his palm-pilot lit up, flashing that Dylan was hit in the leg, then fell into a bomb area-his scanner showed him as dead. Hayden looked to where Dylan had been, seeing him just laying there motionless-acting as dead with his suit still flashing orange, yellow, and red, imitating fire.

/Flashback/

Hayden watched in horror as Eli yelled out in pain having been shot in the leg-Hayden went to get him but he was held back when the word, "RPG," was shouted by someone else. Hayden only saw Eli look in terror and sadness as the RPG landed close to him and then was caught in the blast. Hayden's eyes only widened-tears brimming them as he knew Eli was gone.

/End Flashback/

Hayden panted a few times to shake the flashback-it was...just a game. He had to remember that! Hayden calmed himself down as he saw Rachel sneaking around with Ethan, Hayden lifted his M16 and shot Rachel in the left side near her heart, then closer to the neck. He knew she'd died because her suit lit up with dark red-the color of blood. Another bomb sounded as Hayden heard TJ yell out that he was trapped under rubble and stuck, Seth rushed over to help him and Theo managed to shoot Seth in the arm once before hiding again. "You...have to leave me!...Save the others..." TJ said weakly. Hayden closed his eyes tightly.

/Flashback/

Hayden rushed to Steven's side after he had gotten trapped, Hayden's arm was bleeding but he didn't care-he tried to move the rubble but couldn't, "Haddock, get out of here..." Ritka coughed.

"No. No man left behind, Ritka. We live by it, I'll call back Lennox or Theo...We'll get ya out of here." Hayden panted as he kept trying to move the heavy rocks, but with his arm wounded he couldn't do it. In the frantic movements, Hayden felt Ritka lift his arm and put it on his shoulder to stop him. Hayden looked at him and saw the look in his eyes.

"Lieutenant! Are you alright? Do you need cover?" came Lennox's voice on the radio.

"Leave me, Haddock...You have to leave...save them." Ritka panted closing his eyes. Hayden wanted to cry, Ritka let go of his hand and shoved him away. "Go! Get out of here!"

"I can't leave without you..." Hayden said.

"You don't...have a choice...Go...I'll be...fine. It's okay, Lieutenant...You're an amazing soldier, Haddock...I'm proud to of worked with you, and all the times you saved me," Ritka smiled at him. Hayden saw Ritka grab his gun and start shooting at enemies. "Now let me the same for you...I'll cover you, go on and get out outta here...!" Ritka called. Hayden grabbed his gun, and ran. After so many feet he looked back and watched in horror as an RPG hit the building a second time, it crumbled to the ground in a pile of rubble.

/End Flashback/

Hayden hid himself behind a wall as he held his head tightly-shaking it side to side to clear the flashback from his mind. "Haddock, I got your cousin, and Sammy once each. Where you at?" Theo asked him over the radio.

"Getting...ready to hit two others," Hayden replied as he tried to calm down, he glanced back over as he saw Seth acting dramatic over TJ being trapped and had died since apparently Olivia got him twice near the head. Hayden looked over then Camille pushed Hayden out of the way getting shot twice, Hayden caught her. "Why'd you do that stupid!" he practically yelled getting the attention of Theo, Avery, and Olivia.

"Oh no..." Theo whispered, "Hayden...it's just a game man, it's okay..." he tried but Hayden wasn't there, he wasn't in the room anymore-he was back in Iraq when Lennox died in his arms.

"What is it...what's wrong?" Avery asked. Theo watched as Camille's suit turned dark red.

"It's...okay bro...now I can be with Dylan..." then her eyes closed as Hayden's screen showed Camille to be dead now. Hayden was shaking, visibly shaking even in the dark they could see it.

"TJ!" Seth yelled out dramatically, Hayden turned his head to look now as he saw Seth on his knees-faking sobs as he took the handgun to his head and take himself out, fall over, and his suit go red.

/Flashback/

Hayden heard sobbing, and followed it. When he got there, he found Tarelto on his knees with his back to Hayden. Before Hayden could say or do anything: he saw Tarelto lift his hand gun to the side of his head, "TARELTO! NO, STOP! Don't do it!" Hayden called out-but it was too late. He pulled the trigger and the gun shot rang out through the trees as Hayden helplessly watched while Tarelto's body just fell over.

Hayden's body began to shake uncontrollably as he hit his knees with widened eyes of what he'd seen. He just watched Tarelto shoot himself in the head...Tarelto committed suicide right in front of him. Hayden had seen a lot of death on the battle field of enemies killing his friends but this...this was something he didn't know what to make of but he knew one thing: it hurt. "NO!" He yelled out as loud as he could before falling forward and letting the tears fall from his eyes. "No...Gods, no...Not...you too..." He whispered.

/End Flashback/

One of the last things he saw was Theo jump in front of him taking two in the chest then move back and drop to the ground in a bomb area and all Hayden saw was Anderson dying again. "No...no not again," Hayden shook violently with his eyes closed-without warning Hayden's eyes narrowed as he grabbed his gun and head shot everyone on the remainder of the enemy team with perfect shots. The buzzer sounded signaling the end of the round as the lights flipped on and Hayden saw what he'd done. "What did...I-" he began shakily. He shot Ethan, Samantha, Felix, and Heather with such accuracy as if he'd been in the war, the round ended as all of them stood up seeing Hayden just drop the gun and back up slowly.

"Hayden?" Avery asked.

"D-don't...just...stay away from me right now..." Hayden panted and Avery pulled her hand back quickly hearing his fear-filled tone, "I'm...sorry...I gotta go." was all he managed as he tore off the suit and left the room quickly, as soon as he got outside he jumped on Toothless's back and sped off as fast as he could out of sight.

"What...just happened?" Rachel asked now.

"I don't know...but I'm gonna find out," Theo said as they exited the room, changed then headed outside while Theo pulled out his phone and called Hayden. "Hayden, what happened?" Theo asked as soon as he answered.

"It was...too real, Theo...too real and I couldn't...handle it..." Theo heard Hayden's voice was clearly shaking, maybe he was even crying but it couldn't be confirmed.

"What do you mean, it was just a game..." Theo asked.

"I know...I just...I flashed back to when...they all died. I couldn't...see it again...I just...I need to get my head right and I'll meet you for lunch. I'm...fine, really...I just need a few minutes..." Hayden replied to him.

"Shit...I didn't even think about that bro, I'm sorry...laser tag probably...wasn't the best idea, not for you at least." Theo said quickly, he hadn't even thought about how those scenes would affect Hayden: he took all those deaths hard, Tarelto's especially.

"It's okay...I just...need a little while, I'll meet you there..." Hayden said then the line cut as Theo lowered the phone with a sigh as Ethan, Dylan, Jasmine, and Heather looked at him worried.

"He...remembered what happened to everyone, didn't he?..." Jasmine asked slowly with a sad look in her eyes as Theo nodded.

"I don't understand what's going on," Avery said, clearly wanting to know what happened to make her fiance freak out and take off in such a panic.

"Lets go to lunch, Hayden will meet us there-he just needs a little time. I'll explain..." Theo said motioning for them all to start walking. After ten minutes they reached the mall and sat down in the food court after getting their food as Theo sighed sadly. "The problem wasn't the laser tag, he knew it was a game. But its how certain deaths came to be that...upset him." Theo began.

"Like...what?" Rachel asked slowly.

"When Dylan was taken out in the second round, he was shot in the leg and landed on a bomb area-that's the same way we lost Eli Matthews..." Jasmine sighed lightly.

"TJ getting trapped with Seth shot in the arm, telling him to save the others-that's how Ritka went, telling Hayden to leave him behind, then Camille pushing him and going red as dead in his arms was how Lennox died. Finally...the one that set him off was when Seth took himself out on his knees..." Theo looked down now as Avery covered her mouth.

"He remembered what happened to Jason...Oh Gods!" She said worried for her fiance.

"He said he's alright, he just needs a little time. Hayden is just suffering a little PTSD, where his mind is taking him back forth to times of war when he suffered the most loss. And those deaths were the worse for him because it was our team, and Hayden took them the hardest." Theo informed lightly.

"But he didn't freak out until you got shot twice and landed in a bomb field...like he snapped and killed the rest of the our team with head shots..." Heather said with a worried look.

"Because Haddock is a master sharpshooter." came a familiar voice, Theo looked to see Sanchez, Palmer, and Shaw walking over, "Where is he anyway?"

"Home, game a laser tag got a little to real for him...same situation happened when we lost Ritka, Lennox, Tarelto, and Matthews," Theo replied gently, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Visiting friends, spotted ya over here figured we'd say hi and check on Haddock, he didn't look so good when we left Iraq after Anderson's death..." Palmer sat down now.

"Well Anderson was pretty much his brother, he seems to be handling it okay," Jasmine informed.

"He's lyin then," Sanchez remarked making them look at him. "Anderson's death got him removed from active duty in the military, he's never allowed to serve in a war again. Surprised you didn't know that,"

"Wait...what do you mean, he never told us that. We know he ended the war, again but...not that he was removed from active duty. What the hell do you three know that we don't?" Dylan said now.

"You...really don't know what happened?" Palmer asked softly. Everyone shook their heads now. "Hayden was removed from active duty because Evans, Boggs, and Greenhalgh don't deem him mentally stable enough to handle it anymore. When Anderson died...Hayden lost his shit, completely. Like worse than when Avery got hurt..."

"Anderson died in action, that's what we were told..." Ethan said, the three boys now shook their heads.

"Anderson died saving Hayden's life, twice." Shaw said as the others gasped in shock.

"What do you mean by twice?" Jasmine said slowly now.

Sanchez took a deep breath, "Hayden spaced out for about five seconds after Evans asked him to take Toothless up and try to use an aerial assault to push back the attack but in that time he was spaced out, an enemy went to shoot him-Anderson took three to the chest to protect him...We don't know what was said between the two but when a grenade was yelled for incoming, Anderson got up, pushed Hayden out of the way and,"

"He saluted Hayden with a smile before he...blew up. Like there was no body to locate...Hayden was stuck in shock for about five minutes before yelling out his name, he argued with the higher ups in a fit of rage...then you all saw what he did from there." Palmer finished.

"Oh my Gods...No wonder he keeps having those nightmares where he yells Harry's name out..." Avery said.

"Yeah, Hayden isn't okay and if you say that he relived all the deaths in a game of laser tag...he really shouldn't be alone right now. You remember what happened when Tarelto killed himself, Hayden shut down and started having suicidal thoughts until he talked to Anderson-who he doesn't have to help him anymore..." Shaw said with a frown.

"And he's home by himself right...Fuck why didn't I see it sooner!" Theo yelled as he raced out, the rest of Strike One and the others following closely-all now very worried for Hayden who was by himself where they knew he had a loaded gun right in his room. Theo jumped on his Nightmare and took to the sky heading to the apartment at top speed for his dragon. Arriving there, Theo jumped off and tried to open the door but it was locked. Jasmine got her key but Theo just kicked it down as they rushed in seeing him on his knees, in uniform with the gun to his head. "HAYDEN, NO!" Theo yelled as he tackled Hayden down and kicked the gun away from him.

"No! No, I want to die...I don't...want to see this anymore! They all died because of me, because I'm weak and useless...it's...my fault! Let me die, let go of me!" Hayden cried out, the guys kept the girls back as Ethan moved the gun farther away and made sure the clip was out while Theo kept Hayden's arms locked so he couldn't get away, Hayden just cried while Theo closed his eyes tightly-trying not to cry as well while he rocked rocked Hayden back and forth to sooth the loud sobs from his friend. The others noticed the dog tags belonging to their fallen comrades on the table, Hayden's with them and a note that said: I can't take this anymore. I can't do this anymore. They died because of me, it's my fault...It's all my fault. I want the pain to stop. I want to be able to close my eyes. I want to sleep again without seeing death everywhere...I don't want to feel, see, hear, or breathe anymore. I just...want the silence and peace of death.

Theo only held his friend, his broken brother in his arms-what else could he do? He was glad Sanchez, Palmer, and Shaw showed up and told them what happened to Hayden. Theo never thought Hayden's PTSD was this bad, to make him want to take his own life to escape the pain of nightmares and flashbacks. Theo was that he'd made it just in time.