"Well it's about damn time." Nightmare commented beneath his helmet as he laid eyes upon his cousin. "Things are getting really fucking ugly out here." He said then, watching as Night Fury stepped down from atop the downed Trader.
"You're not gonna make fun of my new suit?" Night Fury asked then, Nightmare cocking his head to the side.
"I just did." Was his response, a smile coming upon the dark clad Fury's face. He gave a nod then as he moved to draw a new bo staff.
"I missed this." He said, being pushed back by the sudden impact of Stormfly latching onto him. He hugged her back immediately and whispered into her ear. "Sorry I'm late."
"Don't worry about it." She said , then pushed him aside as a blast of energy ripped past their heads. Ryker growled lowly as he neared his teeth.
"I'm still here ya know!" He shouted just as the glass cockpit of Johann's suit burst open and the man crawled free, standing tall with his mechanical arms expanding from his back attachment.
"Alright. I just got that toy- and ye're ruined it. Now I'm pissed!!" Johann shouted as he used the mechanical arms to lift himself up into the air a few feet. A moment later, two small launcher attachments arose from the shoulders of the rig and began firing small rockets at the Immortals.
Night Fury turned on his heel then and began to counter, rushing out and grabbing one of the rockets then turning its path back the way it had come. There were still three more flying free, two of which he grabbed in a swift and barely seen motion, then thrust back the opposite way.
The last rocket was caught by Typhoon, who did the same. As the rockets rushed back towards the villains, they lept out of way just in time to avoid the blast. Johann engaged his concussive gauntlets and locked his sights onto Typhoon and Night Fury, opening fire with a burst of blue energy.
The burst went avoided with ease as Typhoon swooped the Night Fury out of the way, leaving a small crater behind. The crackling of lightning drew his attention next and be narrowly dodged an oncoming bolt from Stormfly.
He did find himself being forced forward by a powerful kick to the back, turning to see Fanghook glowering at him.
"You!" He shouted upon seeing the young man, sending a barrage of concussive blasts his way. Fanghook weaved his way through each one with a smirk upon his face as he drew his escrima sticks while flipping out of each blast's path. He was wasting no more time with The Trader.
He noticed the man's suit had gained a new function- a cold down mode. He definitely needed it after their last meeting. This was also the perfect opportunity. As the gauntlets went into cool down, Fanghook launched an escrima stick towards the man's plexiglass helmet, causing it to crack upon impact and then bounce onto the ground.
"You little twerp!" Trader had shouted as he went to his feet and began to swing the mechanical arms towards the young hero, who dove over the first one and lept onto the second.
"I'm gonna be honest with ya Johann...you're lightweight." Fanghook said as he climbed onto the back of the man's rig and rammed his other escrima stick into the back of it.
He felt Johann stumbling around whilst trying to reach for him and grabbed one of the man's arms, pinning it against the rig before forcing it upwards in a swift motion, dislocating it.
"Gah!!" Johann had shouted, the sounds of Ryker struggling with the other Immortals being drowned out by the pain arising in his arm. He turned his head and watched as Ryker was thrown down before his feet and bound with cables, before dropping to a knee just as his rig shut down.
"No….not again." He said silently as he grabbed onto his now limp arm.
"It's best to take you guys out one by one rather than all at once." Night Fury noted as he walked over, delivering a swift kick to the man's chest to send him onto his back. With his suit shut down, getting up from this position without help would be impossible. So he struggled there, like a downed turtle while shouting obscenities.
"Well that was easy." Stormfly commented with a shrug of her left shoulder as the group's eyes traveled towards the warehouse.
"Yup...too easy." Was Nightlight's response as he and Stormfly took off towards the building, Night Fury following behind with Fanghook, Nightmare and Typhoon.
"I called the Twins for back-up." Stormfly said as they entered the building, finding it dimly much to their surprise. "But after that, we might not need em."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Called a voice, a sudden burst of energy rippling by to take Stormfly out of the air and onto the floor.
Blackout and Gaslight made their presence known then, the other man sending a ball of green gas towards the group.
"Getting real fucking sick of gas attacks.." Nightmare said with a growl as the rebreather function of his helmet activated. He set his sights on the two and rushed towards them, opening fire with no second thoughts.
"Nightmare wait!" Came the call of the Night Fury behind him. The shout went on to be ignored as the first round of shots went towards them- Blackout unveiling a solar energy shield from his hands to block them.
As the shield was brought down, so was Nightmare's foot onto the man's chest. This sent Blackout to the floor instantly, with Gaslight backing up.
"Easy there." The villain said upon seeing how serious the man was. Nightmare prepped his handgun for another shot, but found his firing arm (right arm) being clamped by some metallic device.
"Huh. Didn't think that'd work." Gaslight said with a chuckle as he saw the metallic attachment that shot from the floor firmly wrapping itself around Nightmare.
"Viggo's smart, knew you'd rush in. Made sure we were posted up right here for that trap to snag ya!" Blackout said as he finally arose to his feet to shoot a glare towards the trapped man.
"Let him go!" Shouted Nightlight as he readied an attack- but stopped upon seeing a controller in Gaslight's hand.
"Let's not be hasty...let's play a game instead." The man said with a gloved finger pointing towards the struggling Nightmare.
"Now then- there's a bomb inside of the Archipelago Credit Union. You'd be smart to go find it." He said, a finger dancing over the trigger,
"But! There's more…" Blackout said with a smirk as his eyes panned over to the controller. "You can go and save those people, or you can save your friend here."
"And what would stop us from doing both? I could take you both out before you could blink." Typhoon said, her eyes widening a bit as the man's finger applied the slightest bit of pressure to the trigger.
"Because this is on a dead man's trigger. If I move my finger, Nightmare here gets blown to pieces right before your eyes." He explained- much to their dismay. "And it's got one helluva range."
The Immortals were at a standstill there, with Nightmare grunting slightly as the device tightened around his upper arm. He bit his tongue slightly and fast a glance to the villains. {They actually thought this out….well almost. They didn't count on catching specifically me!} he'd thought, an idea coming to mind.
"How bout this?" He began, everyone's attention turning towards him as he reached behind his back and drew his sword- pointing it towards Gaslight.
"They go get the bomb… and I take you clowns out myself." He said, the men lifting and eyebrow in confusion.
"And how do you plan to do that stationary?" Blackout asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Nightmare gave a smirk from beneath his helmet at that question, brandishing the sword then, "Who said I'd be stationary?" He asked. The next motion was so swift that the men had no time to grasp what had happened. By then he was suddenly sprung free with a large grunt and a spray of blood.
He leapt onto Blackout, and wasted no time in driving his sword through the man's chest. As the villain's eyes fluttered, they stared in shock before finally closing.
"No!!" Gaslight shouted as he looked to Nightmare, finally moving his finger from the button.
"Shit!" Typhoon said as she took off in a blur, the other Immortals rushing towards Gaslight then. They were all taken aback by Nightmare's sudden freedom, and his method of getting free concerned them more than Gaslight ever could.
Nightmare moved before the villain, firing off three swift and unforgiving rounds into the man's body- chest, rib cage and head. He dropped to the floor in a heap, the clatter of the trigger following soon after.
Night Fury approached Nightmare first, testing Hud cape off of his back and wrapping it around the man's arm.
"What the fuck were you thinking?!" He asked then, watching as his cousins looked to him and shrugged.
"I thought , this will be badass. Painful, but badass!"
The other Immortals were left in shock at his actions, and turned towards the metallic trap that has ensnared him. Laying next to it was his now severed arm.
The splatters of blood leading up to the puddle beneath it were enough alone to turn someone's stomach. Having to witness something like this firsthand was even worse, especially for Gustav who'd turned away to avoid vomiting at the sight.
"What the hell?" He questioned said he tried not to lose his mind over it. He cast a glance at Nightmare, who seemingly didn't care for the situation. Night Fury worked to get the injured man away from the scene with help from Nightlight and Stormfly. And at that moment, Fanghook wondered just how deep this had gotten.
——
Cami's mind raced at the same pace as her feet as she approached the Union, rounding a corner rather gracefully before launching herself through the nearest entrance- that being a window on the side of the building. She slid to a stop and looked around the immediate area, finding the bomb already taking effect on the area. The ceiling was coming down , with bits of rubble and debris littering the floor and endangering the people within.
She wasted no time in taking a runner's stance, the sounds of Forever Young by Tiffany soon filling her ears to help her focus on the situation and just this situation.
Let's dance in style, lets dance for a while
Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you going to drop the bomb or not?
Cami's movements were swifter than ever before, her eyes adjusting to the new speed enhancement rather quickly. She took off into the fray without a moment of hesitation, grabbing onto the first civilian she saw and lifting him off his feet with a single hand before going to grab the woman that was on the floor beside him.
Let us die young or let us live forever
We don't have the power but we never say never
Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip
The music's for the sad men
She carried both of them out into the city streets and made her return, brushing aside a stray piece of shrapnel that was near her face. The pieces seemed to move at a snail's pace despite the blast propelling them- something she took great pride in.
Can you imagine when this race is won
Turn our golden faces into the sun
Praising our leaders we're getting in tune
The music's played by the madman
Her next trip into the building took her back to the same floor, where she decided that merely carrying everyone out wouldn't be enough. She looked around and found a window nearby, already shattered from the shockwave. A smirk came upon her face as she raced over and searched for some form of cushioning. Finding none, the woman left the building and returned a moment later with two mattresses.
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever young.
She rushed over to two more people and wrapped a mattress around each one of them, then angled their bodies so that they'd land on their backs. Cami then pushed the two out of the shattered window and aimed them towards the ground a few feet away, using her abilities to increase their own kinetic energy fields to lessen the blow from their landing.
Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later they all will be gone
Why don't they stay young
She circled around the room then, pausing as she found a woman reaching out to her child. Scooping up the child beneath her right arm, she then grabbed the woman by her torso and raced out of the window and into the streets, setting them both down beside an awaiting officer. It was amazing how similar everyone was to a statue at that moment.
It's so hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fading horse
Youth is like diamonds in the sun
And diamonds are forever
She ducked her head under the broken glass upon re-entry through the window, then moved on to lift up a large bit of rubble that had fallen upon three people. The next few movements involved her rushing them all off to the nearest paramedic, which had been stationed just outside the building.
She gave a smile at her work- every area of the building had been cleared out by now. So she slid back outside and took a good few feet to stand and watch as the explosion finished. It was then she moved to grab any debris and shrapnel that rushed out of the blast, gathering it all into her arms and setting it down to assure it didn't harm anyone else.
Time seemed to move back to a normal pace in her perspective, and she turned towards the group of people she'd saved. They looked disheveled to say the least, but she could tell they were grateful for her work.
She gave the bow forming crowd a quick glance before moving away from the scene- focused on her return to her friends' side.
——
"Congrats, you just benched yourself." Night Fury commented as he finished wrapping his cape around Nightmare's shoulder to stop the bleeding. The Twins has finally arrived and made an entrance- wearing the same suits they had the last time they'd faced Viggo's gang- thought Tuff wore a skull themed helmet with three large green spikes on the head rather than a mask.
"Someone call for trouble?" Barf asked
"And did they make it a double?" Belch carried on, much to everyone's annoyance.
"Just come on. We're gonna need you guys now that Snot's out of commission."
"Out of commission? The Snotman's never out of commission." Came the abrupt response as Nightmare moved towards them. He stumbled though, and soon found himself falling to one knee.
"Okay, maybe this time I can ride bench...this time."
"Yeah, no shit." Commented Nightlight as he dispersed a minor burst of energy throughout the area. The burst spread over everyone present but served no danger of harm. "Picking up three heat signatures from the back of the warehouse." He said as he turned back to everyone else.
"Three? Viggo, Throk- who could the third be?" Astrid asked as she began to walk past the radioactive man. Her eyes glowed white for a moment - then a swift wind rushed through the outside of the building and inside to push against the back of the warehouse. A wall shattered from the sudden force, revealing a small passageway.
"And there we go." She said- Night Fury approaching with a look of surprise.
"Wow, you guys really have advanced since I took off." He commented then. They didn't linger on the matter- but soon found the blur of color known as Typhoon joining their sides once again.
"Saved everyone at the Union." She said, much to the relief of everyone present.
"Good. Then let's finish this." Night Fury said as he entered the passage with no hesitation, the others following closely behind.
The path was dark- the only light they'd had coming from the palms of Nightlight's and surprisingly Night Fury's hands. As they reached the bottom of the passage- they found themselves in front of a metal door.
"Might be locked." Stormfly commented from behind him, causing Night Fury to smirk.
"I've got a key." He said before plunging his already lit hand outwards and smashing the door right off of its hinges and onto the floor. They found it then, a room built as some sort of lab. And in the center of it was a glass containment unit, complete with a metallic bed that had loosened shackles.
"No one's here….think they took off?" Nightlight asked as he looked over the area with a grimace. The lab was empty, though he could feel bits of heat emanating off of certain items- showing that they'd recently been used.
"Must have heard us upstairs." Nightmare said as he staggered into the lab, resting his hand upon the wall beside the door for stabilization. He soon found Belch stepping to his side to aid him in getting up straight.
"Or it could be a trap." Night Fury said as he took to analyzing the containment chamber. Using his mask, he'd found a large heat signature once rested here- restrained but still leaving a good bit of resonance. "Throk was here…"
10 Years Ago
Most nine year olds live their lives in peace- with either their mom or dad or both. Mala Grimborn wasn't so lucky. She had her father, that much was true. But her life was all but peaceful. It seemed that from the second she could walk she was being taught to fight- each lesson more painful than the last.
"Watch your opponent's movements closely." Come the harsh voice as another fist swung towards her face, leading her to duck and go for a leg sweep.
This maneuver failed as she soon found her opponent leaping over he leg and bringing a palm down to her face, drawing a bit of blood from her nose upon impact. She turned and wiped the substance away before spinning onto her back and eventually launching back to her feet, taking a defensive stance.
"Careful , Mala. Don't wanna lose focus." Viggo said as he looked over at her from his position, then lept towards her- ailing another punch towards her stomach.
It was a simple move, bringing a forearm down to block the fist before bringing up her other arm to attempt a punch. The punch failed as her fist was caught by his hand- though she found herself smirking as she leapt upwards you deliver a swift kick across his face. This took him off guard and gave her an opportunity to capitalize, following up with a knee to the stomach.
It took a good bit of force to get the man known as Viggo Grimborn off guard, and this was definitely it. She finished the move set by framing her elbow into the center of his spine. He fell to the floor on his hands and knees- releasing an abrupt groan before moving back to his feet.
"Excellent job." He said, looking down to her with a smirk. "You're improving greatly." He rested a hand on the center of the blonde child's head, then turned as his ears picked up on the sound of his phone ringing from across the room.
"It seems work calls." He said, leaving her there. Mala watched his fleeting form, the proud smile she wore soon darkening to a scowl. That one moment of recognition meant nothing- equaled in no way to the years of emotional and physical torment she'd endured with her father. Though it did pride her to know that a nine year old had managed to take down the great Viggo Grimborn.
Their lessons carried on throughout the years- each one soon growing in ferocity. She still recalled the task she'd been given at the age of fourteen- breaking into an enemy kingpin's home and silencing the man once and for all.
It wasn't the first time she'd cried- and surely wouldn't be the last. She struggled at first to wash the man's blood from her hands while glaring into her own reflection. He'd assured her that it was simply a matter of business, that she had to do it.
She never had a friend, or anyone who would care or listen. She always had her father. Her psychotic, abusive, cynical father. He always said she didn't need friends, didn't need public schooling either. She believed it too- even to the age of nineteen. But once this mission came up, this mission based on entering a school and betraying a newcomer, she knew she'd have a chance.
And she took it- finally finding something other than pain for once in her life. She found peace, in the arms of a darker haired clone. She found friendship with a shorter black haired boy. She felt that, for once, she actually had a family.
And now her father wanted to take that too…
……….
She watched as he worked to set up. As soon as he'd heard the Immortals enter he'd began to move everything out- including his prisoner. Her eyes locked on Throk's now sleeping form as he lay restrained by thick chains in the back of the armored vehicle.
It was quite spacious, as it was a stolen LMTV- she hadn't asked how he'd acquired the blacked out vehicle. She had her thoughts however.
They were in an empty parking lot now with several metallic wires running to the back of the vehicle- each one attached to a strange power node on Throk's body. She didn't know exactly what his plans for her boyfriend were, but she definitely didn't like it.
Her eyes cut across to her father who stood on the ground outside, fiddling with some sort of console. Everything seemingly had been set up ahead of time. He really had thought it all out. So far atleast.
She dropped down from the back of the vehicle and looked at him with bewilderment, her eyes settling on the strange metallic disk that rested on his chest.
"What is this?" She asked finally, Viggo turning to face her.
"This is a power transference rig." Was his response- abrupt and cold. He obviously had no intent on explaining very much to her. She brushed it off then and walked off to the driver's side of the vehicle, pulling out her minicomputer and typing away.
Hideout
"I'm not finding any leads here." Fanghook said with a sigh as he and Night Fury searched through the computers that Viggo had left behind.
"Me ei-wait. There's a transmission coming through." Night Fury said as he accepted the new bit of information. "Coordinates..,from someone codenamed Sleuther." He said as he looked to everyone else.
"They're near the pier."
—-
Viggo smirked as he finished up the initial setup of the device, and looked to Throk for a moment. "Get ready creature. You're about to help me go global." He said, before finally flipping a switch.
"Grimborn!!!" Came the shout, Viggo turning to meet the eyes of Night Fury and his Immortal comrades.
"You're all here...that's a surprise.Though I do wonder how you found me so soon." He said , not moving from the panel for even a moment.
"That would be me." Came Mala's voice, causing Viggo to look to her with actual betrayal.
"You? You're betraying me?" He asked, a hand reaching back towards the hilt of his sword. The other Immortals looked on in shock at who appeared, but none more than Gustav.
"Mala?!? You work for Viggo?!" The young man asked as he balled up his fists in anger.
"I'm his daughter. And I'm tired of doing his dirty work." She said while drawing her own weapon, a pair of black blades tanto swords.
"Sad Mala...I don't think you realize just how much you've hurt me." Came Viggo as he fully drew his weapon.
"I don't think you realize just how little I give a fuck." She said then, her gaze upon the man who'd robbed her of an actual life hardening further. "I never had friends, never had an actual family. I had you- you and your cruel intentions and ulterior motives. I refuse to let you take away the only person who's cared- I will not let you hurt my boyfriend ever again."
He gave out a cold chuckle at that, and shook his head. "You actually care for that thing." He said, his sword pointing towards the bound clone in the back of the LMTV.
"That 'thing' is more human than you'll ever be." She replied, then took off running towards him. A quick swing of her right blade and he went into a duck, then found her other blade coming down towards the back of his neck.
A leg sweep cut that move short, but she rebounded from it much quicker than expected and drove her foot towards him. He caught it, but was surprised to find her other foot meeting the side of his face and taking him off balance. Mala took that chance then and tackled him to the ground, attempting to drive her right blade into his throat- a missed attack.
Viggo grabbed the base of her wrist and then grabbed at her throat before head butting her to gain the advantage. This drove her back into a stumble, which he used to kick her to the ground.
"Let's not be hasty." He said as he pointed his blade towards her. "You always were my greatest weapon...my pride and joy. But you were always hesitant Mala, and that made you weak." He began, swiping away both blades from her hands. "But one thing is right...you're alone. You always have been, and you always will be." He said, moving to force his blade through her chest.
But it was halted as the sword went flying away, thanks to a ball of blue energy.
"She's not alone anymore." Night Fury said as he rushed over in a blur of black and blue, sending a sharp punch to the side of his head.
Viggo was sent to the ground with that attack, and looked up in shock as Night Fury helped Mala to her feet.
"We'll handle him together. Immortals- free Throk and provide back-up if needed. But for now, he's ours." Night Fury said as he turned his gaze towards Viggo, He and Mala both taking up stances.
"You're going to regret this dearly." The man said, tapping the center of his chest rig. A moment or so later, his body began to shake slightly before finally erupting with a ball of flames.
"What the hell?" Mala asked as Night Fury looked from the rig to Throk,
"He's drawing power from a Throk!" He said.
"Clever boy." Viggo chuckled as he launched himself at the Night Fury- the two men coming to a standoff as he blocked his attack. "Seems we've both got a power boost here." He said, increasing the temperature of the flames he had been emitting to try to burn through the Night Fury's gauntlets.
"Watch the suit." Night Fury said as he drove his knee into the man's stomach, Mala then kicking him in the throat to throw him off guard.
"Flank him." Mala said as Night Fury nodded and took to Viggo's left side- Mala to the right.
It wasn't easy taking on both of them at once- two highly experienced fighters, but he was managing. Weaving his way through almost every punch and kick being sent towards him, he ultimately opted for a temporary stun.
A burst of heat released from his body and forced the two of them back, Viggo standing over them with his entire body encompassed in flames.
"Let's try that again shall we?" He asked as he launched a ray of fire towards Mala- who was scooped up out of the way by Night Fury.
"Thanks." She said, Night Fury giving a nod as he looked just past Viggo's shoulder.
"Let's not." He replied, watching as Viggo's eyes widened. The power to his rig had begun to shut down and the flames died out. He turned back to watch as the other Immortals smiled and waved from the LMTV- Throk now being free and glaring at him.
"I usually believe in fair fights. But for someone as cruel as you….Immortals…jump him." Night Fury called, everyone present leaping towards the man.
Stormfly struck first, using her weather bending capabilities to summon up a burst of snow that buried the man up to his waste. Nightlight came next and fired off a ray of energy to propel him towards Fanghook. Fanghook sent a swift kick to the man's face and brought him to the ground, but the attack didn't end there. Soon the Twins later onto him with various punches and kicks to his midriff- then cleared out just as a blur of color ran around the man and uplifted him in a wind funnel.
Typhoon sped to a stop with a smirk as a bolt of lightning from Stormfly cane through to finish it off- barreling Viggo into the ground.
The Immortals stood around the downed villain with smiles, Night Fury kneeling to meet his eye.
"Checkmate." He said, just as Viggo pulled something from his belt. He sent a sharp punch to the man's face- backed by a blue flamed hand.
"Well that was fun." Came Eret as he clasped Throk on the back. "Now let's get out of here."
"Wait!" Came Mala's voice, everyone turning towards her. "There's a chemical bomb back at my father's lab. It needs to be dismantled..,and he left something for you too Hiccup." She said, all eyes settling on him.
——-
Disarming the bomb was incredibly easy- took no time. Finding the gift that Viggo had left behind was a bit hard as Mala hadn't know it's exact location, but soon they uncovered it and found it to be a black flash drive. After their criminal bust, they saw too it that Viggo and his group were taken in. And then, they retreated to their new hideout- Fishlegs' apartment.
He sat at the computer in Fishlegs' currently crowded apartment with a bead of sweat running down his face. What the hell had Viggo done as his final act before his incarceration? What lied on this flash drive that was so important? It seemed everyone wanted to know, as they stopped eating to crowd around him and stared at the computer, anxiously awaiting what came next.
"It's a video." He said as he pulled the file from the USB and onto the computer's media player. It took a moment, but soon the video began to play through.
Mala, who stood beside Throk and Gustav in the back, looked on with a bit of anger as her father's face finally appeared on the screen- in a dimly lit office.
"If you're seeing this, it means I'm either dead or finally been captured. If either of these are the case- I believe I have to get something off my chest." The man began, Hiccup biting his tongue gently.
"I'll cut through the pleasantries and spare all the boring details to say this- I hate the Haddock family. Their riches, their prosperity, it all sickens me. I wanted to cripple that family, and felt it best to start at the bottom." Astrid was on the edge of her feet as she glared into the screen, a hand running through Hiccup's hair to keep him calm.
"So I went after Henry Haddock first. Detective Haddock was a good man, I'll admit that much. Record cleaner than One forged by the Gods themselves. So I knew I'd have to dig deep to nail him." He paused for a moment to shuffle slightly in his seat. "What better way to do that than framing him for murder?" He asked, everyone's eyes shooting open.
"Henry Haddock wasn't the man that committed all those crimes. I am. They were all people I've dealt with before, loose ends if you will. Felt it best to knock out two birds with one stone. So I stole some of the man's Fingerprints and acquired a few hair samples, then left them at the crime scenes."
Hiccup fist clenched tight, to the point where it hurt to strain them any further. "That bastard.."
"For further proof of my involvement in these crimes, I've left a good deal of untampered evidence and photographs of the scenes at the following address. Five seven seven Wilson Way." Viggo said , the Immortals looking to one another before returning to the screen.
"With that being said, I've done all I needed to do. Hopefully I managed to give Mister Haddock a run for his money with this little prank. We'll see. That's all I have for you, good day." He finally said, the camera shutting off right before their eyes. The black screen that was left reflected their awestruck faces as each of them tried to grip what just happened.
"It was him?!" Tuff shouted finally, followed by Eret calling.
"And he...gave himself up? Why?"
"Because….I won the game." Hiccup said, turning to face all of them. His eyes shot from the group then over to a picture that rested on Fishlegs' shelf nearby. It was an image of several pre-teens, around age thirteen. One with auburn hair stood off to the right side as a stocky black haired one held him in a headlock. Though neither looked distressed and simply were laughing. A blonde haired short girl looked at them with a smile as a chubby blonde haired boy looked concerned.
And beside them all was a raven haired girl who was rolling her eyes at the display. Hiccup locked onto Heather's face in the picture, a tear rolling down soon. "But at what cost?"
——
The Night Fury was out and about once again, the flash drive having been tucked firmly into one of his belt pouches for safe keeping. He wasn't hesitant in a single movement he made, leaping and tumbling over rooftops and cables with finesse as he rushed through the city.
He was a man on a mission, one final mission before he could finally give a sigh of relief for the night. His grapnel was struck out soon and fired off with a shink, latching onto a rooftop across the way. Swinging off and on that roof, he landed on one knee and looked up to the man that stood there, waiting.
"Nice entrance." The Commissioner said as he put out his cigar and walked towards the Night Fury.
"You're back again? Figured after the big Viggo bust you'd take the rest of the night off." He said, watching as the Night Fury drew out the flash drive.
"Had one more mission. Viggo left this behind, and it's pretty important if you ask me." He said, placing the drive into the man's hand.
"I recommend watching it as soon as you can...you need to see this." He said, eyes casting aside to avoid the man's bewildered gaze.
Finally, Commissioner Juan's hand closed around the flash drive and he gave a smirk. "What is it?"
"It's clearance...something that'll help someone who's had one hell of a year." Was all he said in response as he turned and stepped onto the edge of the roof, then dropped down without a second thought or even another word.
The Commissioner chuckled slightly at the antic, and merely turned to walk back into the building. "This city's got some weird tenants."
———
The doors to the new base pushed open with a soft thump as Hiccup, Cami and Eret stepped in. "This is it." Hiccup said with a smile.
"Dude ...is this-" Eret asked, his eyes wide as he adjusted the right sleeve of his dark brown vegan leather jacket.
"The Thunderdome. Yup. But it's not the primary one." Hiccup said, bringing a look of confusion to Eret's face.
"His dad has multiple Thunderdomes set up around Berk and other cities." Cami explained as she pinched Eret's cheek gently.
The man gave a nod as Hiccup walked towards the center flooring panel, which currently held a symbol of a green Viking helmet. "Yup. And he was more than willing to give one up for us." He said with a smile as he looked at them.
"So...you ready to get to work?" He asked. Eret smiles as he draped an arm around Cami and pulled her close, giving a thumbs up in response.
Cami giggled slightly before looking at her long time friend. "Always."
Hiccup smirked at the response. "Then let's get the Immortal Edge up and running."
"Immortal Edge? That's what we're calling it?" Cami asked then, Hiccup giving a shrug in response.
"Immortal Cave sounded kinda lame."
—-
Physical therapy was boring. Rehab was even more boring. But he'd made it three the five week dual course with ease, his mind wasn't hooked on that damn needle. He'd admit he hated being asked to go, but he was grateful to know how much they cared.
Now he sat there in that white office, listening to Gobber drone on and on. "Gobber I get it. Regulate the power, don't let my other arm get bigger than this one, wear gloves and long sleeves when in public- can I just get the damn thing already?" He asked, having finally gotten impatient during the briefing.
The cybernetically enhanced veteran gave a roll of his eyes as he listened to Scott, moving from his chair to walk towards a closet nearby. "Ye and yer cousin's attitudes are very hard to work wit sometimes, I swear." The man said as he drew out a large metal box.
He placed it down onto the table and popped open its lock, then pushed it open. "So, Whaddya think?" He asks as Scott approaches- his eyes staring like they'd just struck gold.
"It's...perfect." Was his response. In the box, surrounded by a black foam like material- was a silver and gray cybernetic arm.
He looked to the stump that used to be his right arm and back to the new addition with a smirk. "Does it come in black?"
"No."
"Oh."
———
There they were- the Immortals. Sitting at their new table, in their new underground base and watching the latest news broadcast. There were more chairs and a bigger table now, with the Terror Twins sitting in two chairs.
Astrid's eyes flicked over her friends and over to the blonde that sat across from her. It used to be Heather- sitting there in her Windshear uniform and waiting for another call to arms. But now it was Mala, whose heart had been filled with dread after playing a role in the Immortal's downfall.
She was forgiven by everyone, even Scott. But she still felt a great sense of dread. That sense was lifted greatly when she was pulled aside by Scott and Hiccup, both men having had their doubts about her. But in the past five weeks since her father's downfall, and her assistance in bringing him down- she's shown that she has the heart for this.
So, with not even an ounce of regret- they presented her with a suit. It was primarily gray, a one piece suit with a back zipper that was covered by two metallic scale-like wings- that shot straight down.
The gloves were a grayish-blue color, as was the mask and the boots. There was a silver symbol of a dragon's head upon the chest, and a black utility belt. And over her head, she wore a hood.
On her belt was a specially made whip, with a razor attachment on the other side.
Astrid smiles softly as the other blonde's eyes met her own. "You look good." She said.
Mala bit her tongue gently before responding. "I feel like a fraud." She admitted, everyone around her soon looked to her.
"Don't...you didn't kill her. You didn't even know your father had done so- and when you found out you tried to defect. Heather would've done the same." Hiccup said as Scott lifted a, now robotic,finger.
"It's true. She always had that fire. That determination- and we see it in you too. I've known Heather most of my life, I loved her and partnered with her for years..she would've wanted you to be the next Windshear even if she were still here." He said, a hint of sadness to his voice.
He too wore a new suit- quite different from his previous one, it was red and black, a black top with a red left sleeve that ended at his wrist and red bottoms- the chest and torso were black and carried a red monstrous nightmare head design across from his sternum down to the end of his abs.
The right arm had no sleeve, and showed off his new mechanical arm to the entire world. He carried his old katana and semi-automatic on his back still, his handguns holstered on his sides. And on his right thigh was a Bowie knife.
The most noticeable change was the decision to get rid of his helmet and replace it with a metallic red and black mask- the mask covering his entire face and having two points that went just over his hairline (similar to Hawkeye's pointed mask- minus the hair being covered).
It too carried a dragon design, as the red opened up to reveal black over the mouth- and red teeth too. It was held by four clips that connected to the back of his mask.
"You're Windshear now kid...and you're an Immortal." He confirmed, a smirk arising beneath his mask.
Mala looked at him with a genuine look of content from behind her eye mask and smiled. "Thank you...I'll do my best to honor her memory." She said, looking to Hiccup then.
"We know you will." He said, then turned to face the monitor as the alarm on his phone went off. "Alright, news time." He said as he flicked on the monitor and waited.
The usual silver haired reporter came onto the screen then, and began to give out the stories of the day. Not much had happened, and thankfully none of the stories so far had been crime related. But finally it came.
"And our top story for today- new footage from the Kingpin known as Viggo Grimborn reveals a shocking truth. We can't show the full video, but it has been revealed that Detective Henry Haddock, son of Stoick Haddock, was indeed framed for the crimes he'd been accused of last year, by Grimborn himself. Grimborn goes on to explain that he did it to try to break the Haddock family- but failed. Police have uncovered several bits of evidence including photos taken at the crime scene that prove Viggo's story to be true. We go now to the scene in downtown Dragon's Edge, where a press conference is currently being held."
The camera cut from her and went to the town hall, with the mayor of Dragon's Edge giving his piece to the people. "With the information we've uncovered, I'd just like to first and foremost apologize to Mister Haddock, wherever he may be now, for this situation. And I hereby pardon him of it all- and congratulate this young man on his clearance. Dragon's Edge doesn't pride itself on pointing fingers, so I'm thankful we've finally uncovered the truth behind these heinous crimes."
The meeting room was filled with whoops and shouts of joy, a smile planted firmly upon Night Fury's face as he shut off the monitor. "And that's the end of that horrible chapter of my life." He said as he looked to everyone.
It was then that the alarm decided to go off, bringing everyone's attention to it. "Robbery on Main Street." He said before looking to the Immortals.
They sat there for a moment, no one even moving to head out. But then, Windshear stood and began to exit the room before turning back with a smile. "Are we gonna give them a reason to be better people or what?" She asked. That seemed to help, as everyone soon followed suit.
In my time, there were heroes. Some people had the police and the firefighters, of the paramedics. Some had other heroes- like teachers of parents even.
We had all of that too, but along with that we had a bond. We had a family...we had the Immortals.
———-
Location : Unknown
"I don't get it...why the Helheim is he going so far out of his way?!" A female voice asked as she peered out of the windshield of her ship. It was a strawberry blonde haired young woman, hair in a bun and wearing what appeared to be some form of Norse armor.
The armor was gray in color, with bits of gold riddling the torso, and chest. She also wore dark brown leggings and fur wrapped leather boots, though no sleeves ran from the metallic shoulder guards on her armor.
Around her head was a metal band, that shaped her forehead and wrapped all the way around. And beside her control console was an axe, engraved with Norse symbols.
"This is Atali to Minden...still no sign of Grimmel yet...but I've found a potential target."
"And where would that be?" Came a reply over the communication jewel that rested in the console.
"Midgard...I'm on my way now."
————
Aaaaaaand we're out. Man that was fun to write- although a bit nerve wracking at times. But still, I loved it. Thank you to everyone who's stuck around so far- especially to the users : CajunBear73, Althea Sirius and Scrumblenut. It's people like you that keep me going, even through my worst times.
I don't have an ETA for Arc three yet, but I will be working on it. For now just stay cool, and please keep reading. Thanks everyone!