Hiccup had been to work for the first time in God only knows how long. His most recent case involved a trafficking ring in the city, he'd scoped it out in his darker guise but came up short on answers. Detective Haddock gave a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair, every bit of evidence from the case spread out over his desk. His thoughts back to the beginning of the shift, before he'd even entered the precinct.
He'd been sitting there, in the pouring rain, for a good twenty minutes. He hadn't felt guilt like this in a while- not since Heather's fall. Not since he lost touch with who he was. Now here he was, lost once again, this time in his thoughts. For a detective, he felt like a pretty shitty one.
His fingers ran along the side of the tape recorder, gently pressing against the playback button while his emerald eyes stayed forward and into the night. The dark tint on the windows of the black Challenger were enough to deter anyone's suspicions as they walked through the parking lot.
What had Henry Haddock, detective for the Dragon's Edge Police Department, So riled up
It had started the day before. He had finished his recruitment for the Immortals and returned to the Immortal Edge. His phone rang aloud.
It was then that Captain Roberts made his presence known over the line. He was an older man, around forty three years of age- and had experience in Forensics from earlier on in his career. He'd transferred there about three months before Henry's arrival. So that put the young man's mind at ease- having someone so experienced still be so new to the place.
He still recalled his entrance to the department himself.
So many unsolved mysteries went solved- he'd been properly rewarded for them too. Several commendations and even an opportunity to be promoted to a sergeant. Yet , all of that was cast aside the moment he was called from Captain Roberts' office number. That meant serious business.
"This is not easy to say. Not easy in the slightest." Roberts began, Hiccup lifting slightly to reposition himself in his seat.
"What is it sir?" He asked after a brief moment of hesitation- Moreso a moment to judge the tone upon the man's voice.
"Several officers in the precinct have brought back new evidence. It seems to be a human trafficking ring." He explains, Hiccup's eyes widening upon hearing the news. At that moment his mind was reeling, running a million thoughts a minute. He'd thought for a moment that it was some sick joke- a tall tale made up to test the man's edge.
But the tone of Captain Roberts' voice said it all. It was true. He straightened up at that and cleared his throat. "I Uh…"
He didn't know what he had to do , or even what he was saying.
"I've put in for a temporary break solely for investigation reasoning. You and the Thorstons will be on it." Captain Roberts said, letting Hiccup react to the situation before dropping any further information.
He stumbled at first, in his wording. Finally, he figured out what he wanted to say, allowing the words from his mouth in a quicker manner than he'd planned. "Thank you sir. I'll be sure to prepare."
He argued with himself on how to properly handle this one. Just because an alien invasion was coming didn't mean he could put aside or ignore the smaller problems- small compared to the invasion of course. He was going to put forth as much effort as necessary for this. His eyes shot up at the ringing of his phone, and he latched out to grab it- recognizing Eret's face on the screen in an instant.
"What's up?" He said after answering the call.
"I need a bit of...help." Eret sounded from the other end of the line, his hesitation to be specific causing Hiccup to roll his eyes.
"With what exactly?" The auburn haired man asked as he leaned back in his chair while reading over a recent case file.
"I need a crew, figured you and your Black Ops squad could help with this." Eret responded then, still sounding hesitant in his wording. "There's a job that needs to be done, an investigation of sorts."
"Sorry Eret, I'm wrapped up in my own investigation right now." He responded, though with a hint of regret. He wanted to help as many as he could, but this trafficking ring had to come first. He heard Eret's tone over the phone, it shifted slightly.
"Wouldn't happen to be a human trafficking deal would it?" The British hero asked, causing Hiccup's eyes to widen as he shot up in his seat.
"Yes...how did you-"
"That's what I'm trying to investigate. I caught wind of this little operation, and I just need someone with their hand in the police department to help me bring it down completely… these are innocent people Hiccup, and I refuse to see anyone else held against their will like I was...like..like she was.." he spoke the last few words in a mutter, trying to push past the feelings of remorse.
He'd faced a similar situation years ago, when he was still working with his father, he was around sixteen years old at the time, still sporting his original Night Fury suit and bo staff. The two had just entered a warehouse in the middle of a shipping yard, with Hiccup breaching the building through the rafters and providing reconnaissance to Stoick, who'd been posted outside and speaking through a communicator.
"I see about fifteen armed men." Hiccup spoke lowly as he peered through the ventilation grate into the room below, his enhanced vision allowing a wider range of view. "They're moving some people now." He said, his eyes widening slightly as he saw how the men were handling them. It was about five women, late twenties and scared out of their minds.
He hated to see this, seeing them being hauled around like they were someone's property- and then used in the same manner. The thought of what they did sickened him to his core. He opted for a stealthy approach to the situation, for the women's sake. He opened the grate softly and moved down, thanking the Gods for his silent rubber boot soles as he landed behind some crates.
There were two men just a few feet away from him. Easy pickings in his opinion. He began to crouch and made his way over, staying as silent as possible before acting. Moving with an unmatched swiftness, he jabbed a hand into one of the men's neck to take him out. The other man barely had time to register before he too hit the ground in a heap. Night Fury dragged both of their unconscious bodies behind the crates and carried on.
"Two down. A lot to go." He said into his communicator
"I'll be in soon. Just give me the word."
"Too easy- just wanna have a bit of fun taking these peeons down first." He responded before rolling behind another crate and watching from the shadows as three more men approached the area. He smirked as they neared the downed men, and were immediately sent to the floor- courtesy of Night Fury's latest weapon. It was a small micro plate that attached to someone's neck and emitted a toxic gas; causing migraines, profuse sweating and muscle failure.
As they fell to the ground, he moved from his position once again and grappled onto a vantage point- using the rafters to do so. No one was noticing the sudden drop in personnel, which he was happy for. He moved directly over the shipping container that the women were being loaded into, and decided to act as soon as they closed it up.
Upon hearing the locking mechanism trigger, Night Fury dropped down full force and landed on one of the four men that stood in front of it. He didn't take a moment to break before shooting out his grapnel and firing the line into another man's shoulder- using this as a weapon.
Using a good bit of force, he whipped that man around in the line like a fish on a reel- and slammed him into another of his allies. After dropping him, Hiccup tossed out one of his shuriken sure at the last man- causing his weapon to jam just as he went to fire. A moment later, the barrel of the gun exploded and sent him flying back in pain.
"Alright Dad, you're good to make an entrance." He said as the rest of the men in the building began to surround him. He'd taken out nine, so there were only six left- but that made no difference. The right side of the building shook as a portion of the wall burst open, a large figure barreling through and grabbed the first two men he saw.
Thunderdrum have a mighty war cry as he slammed them into the ground, leaving cracks in the pavement. The other men immediately opened fire, but watched in fear as each round seemingly bounced off of his body. Thunderdrum looked to them with a smirk before rushing over and clotheslining the first one he reached, sending the man flying. As the others began to move, they were sent to the floor by a shockwave.
Thunderdrum had punched his vast fist into the ground, shaking the foundations around them and destabilizing them. As they fell, he was quick to stomp onto their backs to keep them down.
During this altercation, Night Fury worked on opening the crate- eventually breaking the latches and pulling the large doors open. The women inside looked at him in fear, but he gave them a smile. "You're all safe now...don't worry." He said. Their faces washed with relief upon hearing that.
Clearing them out and getting the cops to come in was easy, and the two vigilantes watched it all from the rooftops. Though Hiccup's mind still hadn't been put at ease from the event, and his father could sense that. A large hand found its place upon his shoulder, causing him to look back to Thunderdrum.
"Somethin' wrong son?" He asked, Hiccup nodding was he asked.
"There's still more of them out there...trapped in this situation." Night Fury explained.
"And we'll find them all." This seemed to brighten his mood a bit, a smile coming to his face.
"Tonight?"
"Aye son, tonight." He responded. It was going to be a long night for both of them. That thought alone was enough to push Hiccup further. He responded to Eret a moment later.
"Let's do it." Hiccup responded to Eret finally, ready to wrap up this dark chapter of his life.
The Next Day
"And you're sure this is the place to go?" Eret asked as he looked over the image that Hiccup had placed before him. They'd began their mission sooner than expected, and managed to rope Cami into it as well. With her speed, stealth would be easy to pull off.
"This is where the most disappearances have occurred, just outside this nightclub." Hiccup said as he looked over the image once again. It was a lowkey place in the downtown area, easy to miss when driving past. So naturally, it was a prime place to go for kidnappings.
"Well let's hit it up, question the workers inside." Cami said as she leaned forward. It made perfect sense to do that atleast.
"I'll go in and question them. You guys hang back, I've got a Plan for this case."
"What's your Plan?" Eret asked, a bit more intrigued than he was before. He'd be lying if he said Hiccup wasn't a master of tactician and planning, so his secondary plan would most likely be the one to work out for them.
"You'll see." Hiccup responded with a smirk as he stood up from the table. He headed out of the room , leaving Eret and Cami behind.
"That scares me, should I be scared?" Eret asked her, to which she responded with a small nod.
The Bar with No Rules
The stench was the first thing he'd noticed, it was hard not to when you had a nose like his. If reeked of body odor and whiskey, the whiskey unsurprisingly being the dominating smell. He stepped forward, feeling the floorboards shifting beneath his feet as he did so. His eyes locked with that of an older man behind the bar, around the age of 65 , perhaps even 70.
"Howdy." The man said with the most subtle hints of a Southern accent. Hiccup approached the bar and took a seat upon an old stool, his lips shifting into a smile.
"Hi. Can I get a whiskey on the rocks and hopefully a conversation?" He asked casually. The man nodded and moved over to his glasses, drawing one out and filling it halfway with ice- then following with the dark liquid. He slid the drink over to Hiccup and returned to wiping things down.
"So, what exactly did ya wanna talk about?" He asked, Hiccup downing the drink as he spoke.
"I'll keep it plain- I'm Detective Henry Haddock, and I want to know if you know anything about the disappearances around this area." He said, sliding the empty glass over for a refill.
The man took it with care and refilled the glass, handing it back over shortly after. "Not as much as I'd like- everything's been busy and thankfully they haven't made a move on me." The man said.
Hiccup sipped from the glass a bit hesitant this time, looking over with interest.
"It's been mostly the people who were too drunk to drive- opting ta' walk home in the dead of night. Around that time, the streets get shifty, real shifty. And next thing ya know, they're gone." He carried on, setting down another glass and filling it up for himself.
"I even set up cameras outside after the last guy...he was a good man, knew him for years. That's when it got real for me."
Hiccup nodded along as he heard this. "Any idea exactly where they're usually taken from?" He asked, feeling the hard liquor he'd been drinking bubbling slightly at the bottom of his stomach. He wouldn't be groggy or the slightest bit disoriented from it, thanks to his healing factor.
"Just up the block, around third street and Elm Park. People usually walk past that park slot, so it's kinda a hotspot." Was the man's answer to this question. Hiccup had heard enough then and stood up, drawing out a one hundred dollar bill to pay the man.
"This is for the drink." He said, then withdrew two hundred more. "And this is for repairs..place like this shouldn't be rotting away at the seams." He explained, watching as the old bartender smiled and took the money.
"Thank you." He said, Hiccup merry smiling back.
"Don't mention it sir. You have a good one." And with that, he was off.
"Guys, I'm on my way back. Get ready for the next phase." He said into the speaker as he walked over to his car. Hiccup paused for a moment to take in his surroundings- swearing he'd just felt the eyes of someone watching him. But all he saw was the statue that stood near the entrance to the bar- stone faced as it should be.
The Immortal Edge
There they say once again, discussing what to do. Hiccup had explained their plan twice already, but the others still wanted one more moment of clarification.
"So, you want me to get captured?" Eret asked for the third time, ensuring that his friend hadn't lost his mind.
"Yes." Hiccup nodded as he pulled something from his pocket. "You'll be tracked thoroughly- of course I'm gonna need you to ingest this beforehand."
"You-you want me to eat that thing?!?" Eret shouted as he arose from his seat, Cami placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's non-toxic, won't have any negative effects on your body, baby." She said before cupping his chin, causing him to turn to her. "Please..if we're gonna save these people, we have to do some...unorthodox things."
He took a moment to think it over, and went against his better judgement. "Alright, I'll do it. But that thing had better pass through easily." He said as he pointed a finger towards the tracker, to which Hiccup merely smirked in response.
Eret sauntered over to him and reached out for the device, then swallowed it down with a grimace. "Ugh, nasty little thing." He commented as Hiccup pulled out his phone and began to ping the device.
"Alright, trackers in place. I'm gonna get you a small comm to use too, so wear something dark and collared- that's where the mic will go." He said as Eret nodded and walked off. Cami walked off with him, leaving Hiccup alone in the meeting room.
"I really hope this works..because I can't shake a bad feeling." He muttered to himself.
Living Quarters- Atali
Atali sighed as she sat up on the bed she'd been given upon her arrival. Her trusty axe, Soulstar, rested in the corner nearby. She looked over to it with interest, but that interest faded as the iPhone she'd been gifted from Hiccup started to ring. She reached over to the desk to pick it up, taking a moment to remember how to answer it. After doing so, she pressed it to her face- then moved it up to her ear in frustration.
"Atali, Daughter of Freya." She spoke, not quite used to actually speaking on the phone yet.
"Hey Freya." A feminine voice responded with a giggle over the line, bringing a smile to the Asgardian's face. She sat straight with interest. "It's Emma. I was wondering if you'd be free for dinner later on tonight."
"Of course- I most definitely have no further ventures for the day." Was her response. She nodded along throughout the rest of the conversation before they finally hung up the phone. As he did this, she leapt to her feet with glee and looked to the mirror across the room. She analyzed her attire carefully, taking note of the chinks and minor cuts in her armor.
"Perhaps I need a different wardrobe for this affair." She said as she cupped her chin in thought. Her eyes perked up as she raced out of the room and down the hall.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut had been focused heavily on the checker board that rested in front of them- neither falling in their movements during the game. That was until a solid knock at the door drew their attention. "I'll get it- you just try to figure that out." Ruff said as she walked towards the door and opened it to reveal a rather gleeful Atali.
"I require assistance. Emma and I are going out tonight for food, and I um...I don't think my armor is the proper attire for this." She said, scratching nervously at the back of her head as she looked down to Ruffnut.
Ruffnut smirked as her brother rushed over, clearly having forgotten the game for now.
"I can help with that!" He shouted.
Atali smirked at the Twins then.
The Bar With No Rules
It was about seven PM now, and Eret had taken to wearing a black coat over a dark green turtleneck and some jeans as he took to the bar. He had about five drinks by now, but his enhanced body had kept them from doing much to his system.
As he waited there, he kept his eyes around the room.
"See anything suspicious?" Hiccup asked over their comm line, to which he replied "No not yet." In a hushed tone. This operation had felt like a bust so far.
"Damn...stick around for a bit. Cami, anything on your end?"
Cami sighed as she lurked around the outside of the building, in an alley between that one and the next. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Saw a homeless man fighting a rat, so that was kinda interesting." She responded
"Alright." Hiccup said as he leaned back in his chair. He'd brought a surveillance van along for the stakeout, which had tinted windows and black paint with a red and green "Ice Cream" logo on the side. Best cover he could find at the time.
"I'll be keeping watch here. Eret stick around for a bit longer, then head out. The streets are most likely where you'd be in the most trouble." Hiccup said
Eret nodded then. "Got it." He said as he looked over to the current bartender. It was a female with rosy pink cheeks and scarlet hair. The woman approached him. "Another one?" She asked, looking him over with a single glance.
"Yes ma'am. Got a lot to get off of my mind tonight." He explained with a small smile. The woman nodded as she went to pour another drink for him, then slid it over. He downed the strong liquid in a near instant and set the empty glass down, his head spinning slightly as he did so.
She looked at him with contempt. "You alright there?" She asked. He sat up straight then.
"Peachy." Was his response, watching as the woman served another drink and handed it over. He took that one down with gusto. As he sat the glass down this time, his vision blurred. His eyes tried to settle upon the woman, but found more than just one of her there.
"Okay...definitely feeling it now." He said to no one in particular as he moved to stand up. The woman moved from around the bar to lend him a hand in steadying himself.
"Easy now. That drink always takes em down, don't move too erratically." She said. He nodded then.
"You got a ride home?" She asked, watching as he struggled to even remember. Everything seems to become a blur for him mentally.
"I'll take that as a no. I'll drive ya home." She said, helping him to walk out of the door. As the two walked past the alley- the same one Cami had been hiding in- the woman smiled to herself as she approached her car. After lugging Eret into the passenger seat and buckling him in, she closed his door and moved to get in herself.
After pulling off, she turned the radio up a bit and looked over to the nearly comatose man. Her smile turned into a sinister smirk. "I can't wait to play with you." She said.
As the vehicle pulled off, Cami slapped her fingers to her comm. "That woman just took off with Eret. There's no way he's drunk enough for that."
"You suspect drugs?" Hiccup asked as he looked at each screen before him, trying to keep track of the vehicle.
"Definitely." Cami said.
Hiccup's eyes narrowed. "Get to the van. We're gonna follow that tracker." He said. He was certain they'd found their culprit.
Immortal Edge
Atali's breath hitched as she looked in the mirror, simply astonished at the work that the Terror Twins were able to do. Her usually pinned up hair was let down, but curled to an extent and draped over her right shoulder. And she wore a dress, a blue sequined one. It's beautiful color bounced with the lighting of the room- same as the diamond pendant earrings they'd given her. The makeup she wore made her look so different.
She reached out to the mirror, trying to ensure that she was still the same person. "I-I cannot believe my eyes." She said, turning to the Twins who looked on with pride in their work.
"You can thank us later, don't wanna keep Emma waiting do ya?" Ruffnut asked as Tuff slapped her back. It wasn't even a second later that they found themselves being scooped up in a bone crushing hug by the Demi-Goddess.
"Thanks to both of you...I am forever grateful." She said, her eyes shimmering as she looked to her friends.
"It's not a problem At. Now get out there!" Tuff said, nudging her towards the door. Atali looked back one last time, and gave a genuine smile before heading out.
"God they grow up so fast." Tuff said as he wiped a tear from his eyes, Ruff looking at him in confusion.
"She's...been alive for like, over a thousand years Dude."
The Dollhouse
"Tracker's been here for a while now, and his vital signs are still active." Hiccup said as he, in his Night Fury attire, and Cami approached a two story house on the edge of the city, surrounded by trees. The house looked rather old and decrepit, with a new coat of paint put on obviously as an attempt to make it look new.
"Let's get in there then." Camicazi said as she rushed to the door, vibrating her hand through the locking mechanism to gain entry. After pushing it open, they both walked in carefully. The entire house was dark, but as Hiccup looked around with his night vision, he became more and more creeped out.
The entire living room was surrounded by dolls of various sizes, most of them the same height as a full grown man. He approached the living room and tapped the old box television that rested in the center, trying to turn it on. But to his surprise, the buttons didn't even move. Further inspection showed that the screen wasn't even real, and he pushed it over to find a picture of an old cartoon.
"Is this a..toy television?" He asked himself. He turned around to relay this finding to Cami, but stood in confusion as he found her to be gone.
"Hiccup!" Her voice called out from another area, leading him to rush over. She stood at a doorway, what he figured was for the basement, with a look of pure horror on her eyes.
"What?" He asked as he looked down, his own eyes widening then. The horrible smell that greeted them sent his enhanced senses reeling, and his eyes could barely even bear the sight that stood before them.
There were meat hooks everywhere, some with human bodies and others with animals. And all around the room were strange containers, filled with some mysterious substance. But what truly freaked them out was the dead man's body that rested on the fourth eye step down- his eyes in a look of fear and regret as his outstretched hand reached for the door.
"Holy sh-" Hiccup began, only to be cut off by an even stranger smell hitting his nose. As he stumbled about, he tried to stay up. Cami had fallen to her knees, and already begun to pass out. He fell not longer after, seeing a dark figure looking over him before he closed his eyes.
Dragon's Edge
"You've failed me one time too many Jameson." The woman said with a yellow eyed glare towards the frightened man. It wasn't even a full second later that a sharp, yellow spike escaped from the folds in her forearms, growing to a length that matched a sword. The woman was swift in her movement- slicing clear through the man's throat with no resistance.
As he fell to the ground, clutching at his throat, she simply stared with a sinister grin. "Idiot." She spat out before walking off into the building. The woman gave a look to the two men guarding the door, dropping in fear. She could smell it on them, a scent all too familiar when around her. "Clean that up." She said plainly.
"Yes Miss Nadder." One of the men responded before moving towards the recently dispatched body that lay on the ground.
"You're aware that if you keep killing our men, soon we'll run out of slaves...and rest subjects." A voice called out to her from the dimly lit room she'd stepped into.
"Relax Gronkle...I'll get you a new one." Was the Nadder's response as she took a seat at a table. "Now then...why have we been summoned?"
"Good question." A man wearing strange bone armor said as he stared across at her. The aforementioned Gronkle pulled up a seat beside him. The Gronkle was a beast of a man, with a mane of slick brown hair and a wretched beard to match. He wore a strange set of armor, which consisted of an orange and yellow sleeveless tunic and black bottoms with boots that matched the top- all stylized with rock-like scales.
He was at least 6'9, and well over 345 pounds- all of it being muscle.
"I'd like to know that as well." Another voice said, causing everyone present to gasp. A skinnier man, standing at about 6' walked up to the table. He wore a strange green tracksuit with red scale patterns and a green helmet. The helmet covered the majority of his face , save for his nose and mouth, and had yellow lenses with a red metallic Mohawk over the top.
"Speed Stinger? They called you here too?" Gronkle asked with a chuckle.
"Yep. Unfortunately. I have much more important things to do."
"And with your speed, they could've been done already." Commented Nadder as she cast a glance towards him. "Your laziness speaks volumes."
"Watch that tone Nadder. Don't need anymore blood to be spilt tonight." Gronkle commented from the side. The door opened once again, a new figure stepping through.
"All of you listen up-" Singetail said as he entered. "I'm calling this meeting of the Dragon Council to discuss something- we have sown visitors coming soon and we need to be sure everything is set. This is the biggest sale we'll ever make- an entire planet.."
"The entire planet?!" Nadder shouted as she turned to look at Singetail. "Are you insane?"
"The Dragon Council's only goal is to dominate the planet...this is the last thing we need to do so. They've agreed to subjugate it all- leaving us in control. So long as they maintain the Earth's resources and weapons to upgrade their arsenal." He took in their reactions.
"Be prepared...soon this planet will belong to The Dragons."
The Dollhouse
"HELP!!" Came the cry that awoke Hiccup from his psychosis. He looked around in fear and anticipation, finding himself bound to a chair with chains. He'd smirked at the thought of them holding him, and attempted to break through. Nothing worked- not even charging his chi, which he noticed was relatively low.
He was trapped, no tools and no belt to use. The room was empty, walls stained with blood and possibly more. He'd have to do a detailed investigation of this area later. As he struggled further, he noticed the medical bed laying nearby. It was broken down , mattress stained with blood and what he could assume was urine.
"Eret?!? Cami?!?" He called out into the room, hoping for an answer. It occurred to him at that moment that his mask was missing, leaving his face bare.
"I've never played with any action figures before." A feminine voice called from a loudspeaker on the wall. He looked up to it with a grimace.
"Let me out of here!!" He shouted then. The door opened, and what met him nearly made him jump. It was a man, at a height of around 6'2 and 210 pounds. But his body, his skin, looked to be made of some sort of porcelain. His eyes looked normal, but the obviously painted on smile that graced his face sent chills down Hiccup's spine.
The man approached Hiccup slowly, each movement seeming forced and slow. He couldn't understand it- where the hell did this human doll come from?
The man had something in his right hand- a syringe. The liquid inside was clear, so Hiccup was having trouble figuring out just what it was. He didn't have much time to deliberate, as the man finally reached him.
He thrashed about like a wild animal at the man's touch, his cold hand reaching his forehead. "Get back!! Get the fuck back!!" He spat at the man with venom in his tone. But he found himself helpless as the needle made contact with his neck.
And once again, he was met with pure darkness. Though, he heard something else as he began to fade. It was music, a song most familiar. He'd recognized the lyrics.
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains
D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E)
(I see things that nobody else sees)
——————
And thus begins, the Dollhouse story arc. This is a part of the Immortals that I've wanted to do for about a year now, but could never find a place for it. Now I have, what with all this invasion preparation.
Get ready, this will have a few horror movie elements to it- mainly featuring our heroes being stuck in a very mysterious place under some very questionable circumstances. All will be revealed soon, so stay tuned.
Also, that song? That's Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez- the theme for this arc. Also the song that inspired it to begin with.
See y'all next time!! XO