"Yet another tragedy prevented by the mechanized heroes known as Big H-" the news report was cut off there as Hiccup leaned back in his chair. He'd taken to sleeping in one of the bedrooms of the mansion since his apartment was raided, and he'd taken no shame in it whatsoever.
He did take shame in his recent defeat at the hands of Viggo Grimborn. With a sigh he pulled up a utter prison photo of the criminal, before casting the same image aside on his phone.
He didn't understand how the man was so damn skilled, or how he acquired his abilities. He did know that he was former CIA and had served a good few years in the Marines. But what happened in between? Better yet...what happened during that?
He couldn't help but to obsess over this now. He'd pulled up as many files on Grimborn as he could, from his time in the military down to his high school days. And so far he was piecing something together.
Finally, the man smiled as he had a solid story. It was a guess at best, but a mildly educated one at that.
"Okay. Viggo Grimborn joined the Marines at the age of 17, getting by on a waiver. He quickly rose their ranks due to his physical prowess and mental abilities. After several promotion board visits and a good bit of referencing, he retired from the military at the age of 26 and was recruited into the CIA's special OPs division. From there he led a black ops team under the name of S.O.U.L. During his time with them, he was drafted into a government experiment to enhance the human body." He pushed for a moment as he looked across the queen sized bed to Astrid , who'd been locked into the explanation.
"And it worked. Too well. About two years later he was discharged from the CIA due to mental instability after a mission gone wrong."
"How wrong?" She asked
"His whole team died except for him. The guilt and the memories from it all seemingly drove him insane. He must've rehabilitated somehow since then. But after that he basically dropped off the map. Until he became the biggest crime lord in Dragons Edge history."
"So he's a war get turned to a life of crime then?" Astrid asks as she moves underneath the brown duvet on their bed, getting a nod in response.
"And he's serious about everything. Especially his younger brother Ryker. He recruited him into this life after finding his brother down on his luck and buried in gambling debt about five years ago."
Hiccup slid his phone onto the nightstand nearby and crawled under the covers as well, smiling softly. "I know it's a lot but I'd like to think that story adds up. It makes more sense than any other."
Astrid chuckles softly "What others did you come up with?"
"A lot. One of them being that he was a mutant, but that one didn't have much support." He said with a chuckle of his own as he rested his head against his pillow.
"Well I'm glad you figured this out. Or seemingly did." She says as she rests her head upon his chest, Hiccup smiling while bringing an arm around her gently.
"Let's focus more on that tomorrow." Astrid says as Hiccup moves over to flick off the lamp.
"Don't go obsessing over it."
His face softened slightly as she said this, and he merely nodded before replying "Don't worry...I won't."
Morning
Astrid released a yawn as she and Heather met each other in the kitchen. "Morning" the blonde said to Heather, who offered her a mug of coffee.
"Morning." She replied as she blew gently upon her own cup, Astrid giving a thanks and doing the same.
"So how are you feeling?" She asked Heather, who looked up from her coffee.
"Tired. Hurt.. but I'm healing slowly. It's just so hard to take in ya know?" She asks as Astrid nods.
"I know all too well. My uncle died when I was twelve and it broke me down." She says as she looks back down into her own mug.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Heather says. She did feel good to know that the pain she felt wasn't simply held to her alone. Knowing Astrid shares the same feelings, knowing that there were more people that felt the same helped in this time.
But every time she thought about Dagur, she just saw darkness following his image. And it hurt her to think of it all.
"Let's go get a start on the day." Heather says, looking down to her outfit. She wore a blue sweater over a white sports bra and a pair of black jeans and black boots.
"Agreed." Astrid says, wearing a black tee shirt, a pair of blue jeans and some black converse. The two began to make their way towards the meeting room, pushing open the doors and being taken aback at the scene before them.
Papers and printouts scattered all across the floors, and a lot of them were pinned to the wall next to the computer with pink highlighter all over them and rubber bands connected by pins on certain parts.
They looked on in shock as Hiccup, wearing his plaid Pyjamas and white wife beater from the previous night, working frantically to organize the papers even more.
"Uh..babe?" Astrid said, watching as Hiccup turned to face them, eyes slightly red.
"It's all connected!!" He shouted.
"Oh no" Heather said softly as she approached him. "What's going on?" She asked as she lifted up one of the pages from a pile on the floor.
"I've finally figured everything out. Viggo, Ryker, Dagur, Drago...everything." He says softly.
"Didn't I say not to obsess over this?" Astrid asks as she lays a hand onto his shoulder. He chuckles upon hearing this.
"It's not an obsession. Just a spark of inspiration. I finally got something. Well...all of it now. The case I've been chasing since I got to Dragons Edge. Finally figured out."
He frowned then, looking towards the floor "And I can't even turn in what I've got...because I'm a wanted man." He sighed before moving to pick up some of the scattered pages.
"Don't stress over it. We'll help you to clear your name." Heather said as she moved to help him clean up the pages. She moved her thumb, catching a glimpse of a picture of Dagur on the page in her hand. She grimaced slightly at this but carried on.
Dragon's Edge High School
A black haired, short figure walked his way through the hustle and bustle of the morning crowd, keeping an eye on the taller figure that walked behind him. Standing at 5'10, the older(looking) boy was much taller than Gustav.
"Alright Throk, this is your first day of high school. Hiccup had you enrolled as a senior since you're biologically eighteen- but trust me- seniors suck!" He says with a sigh as a group of seniors push past him, nudging him into a locker.
He growled lowly as this happened and looked back to Throk. The clone known to most as Changewing smiled at the new environment. Since being found by Hiccup and discovering his DNA ties to Hiccup, he'd been taken in and trained by Thunderdrum and given the name Throk Haddock- serving as a younger brother to the Night Fury.
Though at times he couldn't feel more distant from his teammates and others around him. But this, high school, was something different. This was a chance to learn- not basic stuff such as math or English or anything he'd been preprogrammed with. But to learn how to interact with others.
From his lessons on sociology with Gustav and Heather, he knew already to be nice to others, because that's how he'd want to be treated. And the guys that just pushed Gustav had irritated him, though he wore a smile. He'd get them back later.
"Alright so- this is your locker. Number 234. Fair warning, people in TV shows use these way more than people do in real life." Gustav said with a smile as he opened the locker next to it- 233
"Hiccup managed to get our lockers right next to each other so we could better get on around here." He explained while inputting his combination and opening it up.
Throk nodded as he watched this motion, doing the same thing and grunting as his lock stayed locked. "Uh Throk?" Gustav called, watching as the clone ignored him and proceeded to tear the lock of of the latch.
Gustav looked around quickly then looked back to him. "Your number code is different from mine man. That's why it didn't work."
"O-oh." Throk said, flushing slightly as he gave an awkward chuckle. "I guess I got a good bit to get used to in the real world then." He says.
"Yeah. Yeah ya do. But lucky for you, we have the exact same schedule." He says
"Let me guess, Hiccup?" Throk asked with a red eyebrow raised in question. He tugged gently on the sleeve of his black leather jacket before casting a glance down to his red shirt , blue jeans and brown boots.
He looked on as another student passed by, wearing ripped black jeans, a red tank top and a chain with a baseball cap.
{Maybe I should change my wardrobe as well…} he thought as he watched the others, basically taking in their sense of fashion.
"We'll go get you some more clothes and stuff later." Gustav reassures him as he threw his satchel over his shoulder. "For now let's head to Literature and get ready to get bored to death."
Lunch
Gustav sighed as he set his lunch tray down onto a round white table near the back window of the cafeteria. He whipped his head up upon hearing multiple Oohs and Aahs from the students, smirking slightly as he saw Throk approaching with a plate piled with about two servings of every food they offered.
"That metabolism must be crazy!" He comments as he watched this, sitting down and picking up a fork- digging into a bowl of grapes upon his own plate.
"They never said anything about a limit." Throk said with a smile as a feminine giggle soon drew his attention.
"You must really like to eat." A girl said, looking to be about 19 years old. She too was a senior, one with very short, blonde hair with her bangs parted to the right. She wore a gray jacket over a light blue shirt and a pair of black jeans with black combat boots.
"I'm Malorie. But most people call me Mala." She said, offering a hand to Throk, who shook it happily.
She gave a slight since as she drew her hand back. "Strong grip. So what's your name?" She asked, watching as he gave a smile.
"Chan-Uh I mean Throk. Throk Haddock." He said happily, looking to Gustav who gave him a thumbs up before diving back into his grapes. As Throk and Mala began to converse with one another, Gustav sighed and picked around his plate.
"First day and he's already got people falling all over him.." he mumbles before eating from a cup of strawberry yogurt. As he did this, he heard heavier footsteps approaching the table and could feel the change in wind as a hand swung towards his plate.
He could avoid it easily- but that would also put his identity at risk. So being the humble kid he is, Gustav sighed as his face was sent flying into his Mac and cheese before lifting it up with an annoyed look upon it.
"Hi Lars." He said grumpily as the larger boy laughed. Lars was a senior, about 6 feet tall and built like a NFL Star. He was the star quarterback of the Dragons Edge Thunderdrums- a football team whose name was changed for the Hero of Berk. Odd considering Berk was another city, but no one questioned it.
He gave a hearty laugh at Gustav's state of dismay. "Sorry Gustav, That max and cheese looked so good I figured you'd want to get as much as you could!" The bronze haired teen chuckled.
He soon found himself being faced with Throk, standing two inches shorter but glaring menacingly at him. "Leave Gustav alone." Throk said plainly, gritting his teeth slightly.
Gustav tugged on Throk's arm, the macaroni having been wiped away from his face with a few paper towels. "Throk just leave it."
"Throk? What kind of a name is Throk?" Lars said , much to Throk's ire.
"The name given to me by my father. Don't make fun of it. And don't mess with my friend." He said plainly, a slight tint of red glimmering in the center of his eyes. But he calmed down then, ceasing use of his powers and potentially blowing his cover.
Lars chuckled at this. "I'll make fun of and do whatever the hell I want dumbass. I'm the star of this school after all."
Throk paused, watching as Lars pointed across the room. There next to the entrance sat a glass case full of trophies, awards and pictures. His enhanced sight allowed him to see the biggest trophy in there- reading the words 'Lars Olsen. Star Qurterback'
His eyebrows furrows together as he looked to Mala and Gustav, who had looks of concern upon their faces. He then smirked and looked to Lars. "I could kick your teeth in. Or I could just one up you." He says finally before sitting back down and drinking from a glass of milk.
"You!?!?" Lars shouted. "One up me?" He couldn't help but to laugh. This guy, this newbie to DE High though he could outdo the star? "And how do you expect to do that?"
"Simple. I've noticed all these fliers for football tryouts. So I'm gonna join the team and take your spot." Throk replies, nudging a finger his way.
Lars' annoying laughter rang throughout the quiet cafeteria now. "We'll see about that newbie. Today at four. Be there and be ready to eat dirt."
"Funny. I should be saying that to you dickweed." Throk says with his smirk still shining upon his lips.
Lars finally walked away, leaving the three to their lunches. As he left, Mala rolled her eyes. "Another showing of men's bravado. Why would you go and say something like that?" She asks as Gustav nods.
"It's simple. It's my first day, and I don't wanna ruin that with a fight. So I'll just take the asshole's coveted spot to teach him a lesson about humility." Throk replies as he points a French dry at Gustav. "Because no one nesses with my friends and gets away with it."
Gustav smiles at that, a piece of macaroni falling from his now tussled black hair and onto his plate. "Thanks Throk. I really appreciate it."
"Eh, thank me when Lars cries today."
Boys Locker Room- 3:30 PM
Throk sat upon a bench in a blue tank top and a pair of black shorts and cleats, preparing for football tryouts. He hadn't heard from Gustav since they'd split after a quick trip to the store for some clothing about a half hour ago. The boy said he'd be watching from the bleachers- her as he peered outside he saw no sign of him.
His enhanced ears began to tune into the world around him, trying to place his voice within a two mile radius. Finally he heard a few shouts and what sounded like a body hitting metal, eyes growing wide as he began to rush towards the sound.
It wasn't that far even- just in the boys shower a few doors down from his spot.
"You're a fucking loser Lars!" Gustav shouted as Lars and two of his friends continued to send sharp punches into the teen's sides. Gustav's left hand was zip-tied to a pipe in the shower and his body was soaking wet from the hot water they'd repeatedly sprayed him with.
His lip had been split from his recent contact with the older teens. It started off so normal- until they dragged him here and slammed him head first against the shower wall.
He knew he could take them down easily- but he took Hiccup's lesson about concealment too far. He didn't want to risk anything, he'd never want to risk this new life he'd been given.
And so he took the beating, took it and prayed it was over with soon.
His prayers seemingly were answered as a pipe burst in the shower- steam emitting from it and clouding all of their views.
"The hell?" One of Lars friends said as he looked around. A pair of red eyes shown through the steamy mist, and the boy was pulled back in the blink of an eye with a sharp scream.
"Jackson!!" Lars and his other friend screamed as he disappeared, his blue and gold varsity jacket being tossed back and hitting the wall next to Gustav.
Lars other friend, Ryan, began to back away. "Aw no way! No fucking way am I staying for THIS!!" He shouted before rushing away from the area.
He made it out of the double doors that led to the locker room, only to be heard screaming a split second later. Lars eyes widened as he shivered in fear, backing away from the entryway and looking at the burst pipe. The metal looked like it had been burned through- and he had no idea how.
Feeling damn near defenseless, he took off in another direction and found himself near a supply closet. Opening it up, he found a large socket wrench and grabbed it for protection, while backing away towards the exit.
"I don't know who or what you are but stay back!! I MEAN IT!" He shouts while swinging the wrench. Suddenly, a concentrated stream of heat rushed towards the wrench and began to illuminate it.
It flowed a vibrant red as it heated up in Lars' hand, starting to melt just as the boy dropped it. His hands were burning now, and he stared at them while crying from the pain.
"Oh my God!!!" He shrieked, before a sudden force sent him flying out of the back exit and into the grassy field beside the track.
Gustav watched as the zip-tie snapped and he dropped to the floor, panting slightly due to the steam in the room. He looked up and immediately around his area before getting up and walking towards the double doors. On his way there he saw Jackson unconscious with a bloody nose, a quick pulse check indicated he was alive.
A few more vital checks showed that he had a minor concussion but was otherwise fine. As he walked through the doors, his eyes widened when he saw Ryan. The boys left hand was broken and there was a dent left in the lockers behind him. He too was alive.
Gustav ignored them after this and merely made his way out of the building, giving a sigh as he took a seat on the steps outside .
"Why would you do that?" He asks, feeling the presence come near him. Throk had began to reach down to tap his shoulder but stopped as he spoke. Gustav turned around with tears in his eyes.
"Why would you put yourself out there like that? Don't you think people are gonna out two and two together?!" He asks as the tears begin to stream down his face.
"I just-"
"No!" Gustav shouted now, launching to his feet and jabbing a finger into the clones chest. "This is high school. These aren't super villains! They're kids! Like me!! Like...like you.." he said, looking to the ground. "You don't have to...you shouldn't be so rough with a kid.."
At first he didn't get it, didn't understand why Gustav was so upset. Until he recalled one of their previous talks- and what he'd learned about the boy's step father. It clearly left some type of effect on Gustav- and seeing that now made him feel something.
He recognized it as pain- or a form of inner turmoil. And he sought to never feel it again. He moved to his friend, hugging him as he wept.
Gustav hesitantly hugged back , listening as Throk said "I'm sorry… I'll never hurt them again."
"Good...other than that...thanks man." Gustav replies as his tears began to cease.
"Of course. You're my best friend after all." Throk said, taking Gustav by surprise. He smiled at this. "And you're my best friend."
The two of them moved away from the steps and began their trek back to the Immortals Mansion. "So tell me about you and Mala, I saw you guys during Chemistry." Gustav said with a teasing tone, getting a light shove from Throk.
"Shut up."
Immortals Mansion
Hiccup watched as the doors opened to the manor and have a wave to the two teens. "So how was the first day of high school?" He asked as he approached Throk with a smile.
"It was eh..,eventful." The clone boy replied with a smile of his own. "But I loved it."
Hiccup blinked in response. "Really? I hated high school." He said as he brought a hand to his chin. "Though I did graduate early though." He said, getting a chuckle from Gustav.
"That's Great Hiccup. But we have a Star Wars marathon to start and I've gotta give Throk here a crash course in talking to girls."
Hiccup smirked as he heard this. "A girl? That's great. But let me tell ya something, relationships are nothing but abusive and cruel." He swore, getting a swat to the back of his head from a blonde as she passed by.
"See?!" He said as he motioned towards her before walking off behind her.
He jogged to catch up to the weather bender and watched as she flipped through pages of a book. She was wearing her work uniform- a white button up shirt, navy blue pants, black shoes and a holster.
"I see someone's getting right back into the policing business." Hiccup says with a smile.
"And quite forcefully I might add. It's crazy- a criminal will think they're getting away and run into a random bit of fog that throws them off. " she says with a smirk, getting Hiccup to look a bit concerned.
"You're using your powers at work now?"
"Only in minor instances, nothing that'll seem too out of the normal to watchers." She says in a reassuring tone as they enter the meeting room, setting her folder down by her chair before sitting in said chair.
"Well that's good..so um… any news on Uh."
"No...I'm sorry. I wish u could find more. I've got the police reports and CSI images but nothing to deter your name." Astrid says with a frown as she looks to Hiccup, who nods in response.
"I gotta say, whoever did this to me really planned it out well. And then there's Viggo. That bastard could be up to anything- doing anything to free Ryker.. he said as he looked towards the computer
"Or he could be doing nothing at all." Astrid said, trying to reassure him once more
"Exactly… and that's what's concerning me." Hiccup says as he turns to face her once again. "A waiting enemy is a dangerous enemy."
His words carried true. As they had their meeting, across the city Viggo had a small meeting of his own. He sat down before a series of computer screens with a his helmet on his lap, smirking as a black clad figure approached.
It was a female wearing a black and gold suit with a black mask covering the top of her head, eyes and nose- yellow eyes glimmering in the dark.
"Sleuther. Took you long enough to report back." Viggo said as he turned to face her, looking on as she crossed her arms.
"I was busy." She replied nonchalantly.
"Hm." He merely nodded in response. "Have you learned anything?" He asks her, watching as she shrugged. "Not yet. Only met the guys today so…" she carried on, Viggo sighing.
"Ah, no need to rush. You'll have plenty of time to collect what I need...that is all." He says before waving her away, listening as her footsteps began to leave the area.
"I'll find out more on the others tomorrow." He said with a smile as he looked at an image of the Immortals.
A bit of a slow and short chapter but I needed to let it be known what's going on with Changewing and Fanghook. What's a hero story without high school drama right?
Hope you liked this one and please come back for more! Love u guys!