EDIT: 1/22/16: I'm currently posting this story to Archiveofourown (Songofafreeheart, if you're looking for me over there), and using it as a chance to go through and edit this story. There are too many chapters for my comfort, and probably a lot of unnecessary baggage that doesn't contribute. And, of course, all the typos…
So I combined the original chapters 2 and 3 (Adrenaline Rush and Come Back Down), into one chapter.
Chapter 2: Adrenaline Rush
Astrid wasn't quite sure how she ended up behind Laptop Boy's chair, shoulder to shoulder with the barista as they watched the images flashing across the screen. She wasn't sure why she cared.
But as soon as he had said that Night Fury had fallen, the barista had vaulted over the counter, and Astrid had followed without thinking.
It was a lot worse than she had assumed from "Night Fury fell off his dragon".
Burgess University had been voted to have the most extreme sports team in the country, and Astrid had a full scholarship to the University because she was on that team. Between that, and racing in the local circuits, she had seen people fall and crash. Motorcycle crashes were bad because the rider often ended up with a six hundred pound motorcycle on top of them, if they weren't thrown a couple hundred feet. Especially when that motorcycle had been going an excess of 80 miles an hour. That was bad. And that was along the lines of what she had expected.
She had forgotten about the involvement of a dragon.
This was so much worse.
The camera was focused on dragon and rider. The same way her eyes were focused on the laptop screen.
They were up among the tops of the skyscrapers, both spinning and tumbling as they plunged down…
…down…
…down…
They both reached for each other, their movements obviously frantic. Night Fury trying to grab onto the saddle.
"How did this happen?" Barista Girl asked, just as Astrid was about to ask why the dragon couldn't fly on its own.
Laptop Boy shook his head.
On the back of his chair, Astrid's hands clenched the wooden bar so tightly the tendons of her knuckles ached.
"This has happened before," Barista Girl said, but she was clearly trying to reassure herself.
"That doesn't mean they're going to make it this time," Astrid said. Her stomach clenched tighter with each passing second. She was unable to tear her eyes away from night Fury as he and the dragon continued to scramble.
Just because she had run a track before didn't mean she wouldn't mess up the next time.
"Where are the others?" she asked.
"Frost and Braveheart are pinned down," Laptop Boy said. "Sun Flower isn't there. Come on. Come on."
Night Fury reached out, and for a moment it looked as though he had gotten a hold of the saddle. Astrid was surprised at the strength of her relief.
But a moment later it became clear that he had missed.
And they were getting closer to the ground.
The dragon roared. A panicked sound made them all wince.
"Oh, stars," Astrid whispered.
She didn't want to see this. She really didn't want to see what she was about to happen. But when she tried to look away, her eyes refused to obey her brain.
A blue glow started at the bottom of the screen. At first she ignored it. When it grew stronger, she thought something was wrong with the laptop. For an instant she thought maybe the device was going to die.
Wouldn't that just fit.
Then Night Fury hit a ramp made of white blue ice.
Jack Frost, she realized. The glow had been his powers as he made the ramp.
"That's brilliant!" Laptop Boy exclaimed.
Night Fury slid down the ice ramp, the dragon a foot or so behind him. The camera followed them down the ramp's subtle decline until it leveled out and they slowed to a stop.
Astrid felt her shoulders sag in relief.
The dragon rolled a couple times, growling in his throat as he slipped and slid across the ice in an attempt to get back on its feet. Night Fury himself was doing a similar dance. His metal peg leg seemed to give him a hard time as he tried to get his feet back under him.
And then Braveheart was running onto the screen, her curly red hair bouncing with her movements. Her bow in one hand, she reached the other out to Night Fury. He seemed to accept it without hesitation, though it was hard to see since his spiked helmet covered his whole face.
In one movement she pulled him off the ground and onto his feet. No sooner did he have his balance then she punched his shoulder so hard he stumbled back and she yelled something at him. They weren't close enough to the camera for her to hear what she was saying. But Astrid got the impression it was something along the lines of "don't ever do that again!"
In only a few seconds the archer had calmed down, though her mouth was still moving.
Night Fury nodded, going over to the dragon that was now back on his feet and shaking his head. He stretched his massive black wings, and rose onto his back legs with a roar so loud it rattled the laptop's speakers, which had suddenly gone tinny as they tried to process the sound.
Astrid could hear it coming from all five devices that weren't hooked up to headphones. One girl with headphones scrambled to throw them off it was so loud.
"Gothel is done," Astrid murmured, staring at the fury she could see in every line of the dragon's frame. His teeth weren't exactly sharp or terrifying. But with the way they were currently bared, Astrid decided she really wouldn't want to be on that creature's bad side.
As soon as the dragon had returned to all fours, he looked back at his rider expectantly. Could that kind of intelligence in a dragon be real? She didn't think she was imagining it.
Night Fury nodded again, running over to jump into the saddle.
The camera panned out, and for the first time Astrid could see Jack Frost on the roof of City Hall. He was currently taking on three of Gothel's thugs alone.
He was quick, and light on his feet. Always moving. And never going where you expected. He lunged towards one thug, then you blinked and he was sweeping the legs out from under another. He had no trouble holding his own, and Astrid had to admit she was impressed.
She had watched the Big 4 fight only one other time, not long after they had first appeared in the city. They had struggled both in the fight, and in trying to function cohesively as a team. She had gotten the impression that they barely knew each other.
Actually, there had only been three of them. Night Fury, Sun Flower, and Braveheart, who was the obvious wild card. And they had been fighting Jack Frost.
How he had ended up on the team, Astrid couldn't begin to guess. Though it had certainly been talked about enough when it happened.
Three years ago, Frost had taken on the others and won with very little trouble. She was pretty sure he had been laughing while he left them in the dust. Astrid had certainly been rolling her eyes as she walked away from the TV.
Now, it was completely different. Sun Flower wasn't there, but the other three were obviously familiar with each other. They had developed their skills, and figured out how to use their strengths to cover each other's weaknesses.
Frost paused, touching his ear (an earpiece?), even as one of the thugs started toward him. He didn't even appear to glance over at the attacker. He flicked a wrist, and the thug's feet were frozen to the roof.
He nodded, and turned back to the rest of his opponents. A couple more had gotten up, so he was facing four.
"What is he doing?" Barista Girl asked, as Frost flew around the thugs, forcing them to take a step back, closer to each other, and away from Gothel.
When Astrid had been young, she had visited her grandparents' farm nearly every summer, where she had been required to help with the chores. Many times she had watched the two dogs heard the flock of sheep, moving them from one pasture to another. So she recognized exactly what Frost was doing.
"He's herding them away from Gothel," she said.
He had already proven that he could have just frozen them to the roof, so he was obviously playing with them. And probably enjoying the game.
The camera left Frost, and focused again on Night Fury as he swooped towards Gothel.
The woman coward on the roof of City Hall, arms raised to shield her face as he landed right on top of her.
Actually, Night Fury didn't seem to have anything to do with it. The dragon appeared to be in control.
Astrid's stomach clenched again as the dragon pulled his head back, mouth open and teeth bared. Was he going to bite the woman in half? Or hit her with a blast of fire? She didn't really want to see either. And the wavering camera told her the cameraman was ready to avert the lens at any moment.
Had the Big 4 ever killed anyone? She didn't think so.
The dragon roared again, and Gothel tried to edge away. She was on her back, with the dragon's paws pinning her down. The sound waves seemed to paralyze her. Astrid wondered if the woman's life was flashing before her eyes.
The roar ended, leaving a strange, reverberating silence, both through the speakers, and in Starbucks. It didn't even seem as though anyone was breathing. Astrid certainly wasn't.
They all waited for the axe to fall.
Instead, the dragon surged forward. As first Astrid thought they were just going to leave Gothel there. It certainly didn't look as though she were going anywhere of her own volition any time soon. But the dragon swooped towards the camera. It was a credit to the cameraman that he didn't shy away – which was why they were able to see Gothel dangling limply from the dragon's claws.
They deposited Gothel just inside the police barricade that had been set up to keep people away from the fight. (What did it say about human stupidity that a barricade was actually needed?)
The camera followed Night Fury and the dragon as they circled the plaza. At first she thought maybe it was a victory lap (even she would admit that they had earned one). But then she saw Braveheart still standing by the ice ramp. She reached up a gloved hand, which Night Fury leaned over to grab. The dragon rose higher as Braveheart vaulted up into the saddle.
As they flew over City Hall, Frost jumped off the roof, the wind catching him. Gothel's thugs were all trapped in various sized blocks of ice. Either frozen to the roof, or bodies encased from the neck down.
Speaking of.
The camera cut back to the heap on the ground that was Gothel. She was just starting to rise to her feet, though visibly shaken. Astrid was impressed the woman actually made it to her feet at all. But wasn't surprised at all when Gothel's legs gave out and she fell back to the ground. The laughter over the speakers was echoed in Starbucks.
Astrid found her heart coming down from a racing rhythm, and she felt the slight tremor she always got when adrenaline started to wear off.
Well, now she understood why people seemed to like watching these fights so much. For someone who wasn't a stunt rider, used to the adrenaline rush that came from actually being in the action, this would probably feel like a buzz.
Astrid backed away from Laptop Boy's chair, taking her steps carefully to ensure she didn't end up doing an impression of Gothel's collapse.
Laptop Boy and Barista Girl were talking animatedly, drowning out the TV journalist, who was conducting an on-the-spot interview with one of the police officers.
In the background, Astrid could see the ice ramp Frost had created. It extended almost the full length of the plaza. The camera hadn't shown it in the heat of the fight, but Frost had known exactly what he was doing.
The incline started out steep so it wouldn't cause a dangerous jolt, before it leveled out, extending almost the entire length of the plaza so that they wouldn't run out of ice before they ran out of momentum. The ramp itself was curved like a waterslide, so they wouldn't fall off.
She caught sight of the fountain in the center of the plaza, which was frozen solid as well.
As the camera panned around to the reporter, Astrid saw that one of the statues in front of City Hall had been knocked over and fallen to pieces.
"Camicazi, if you don't get back to work, I will tell the manager," Tiana called.
Barista Girl – Camicazi, apparently – jolted and looked back at the counter.
"Oh, right." She went back around the counter, to where a couple customers had come up to the register now that the excitement was over.
That was enough to get Astrid moving as well.
"Don't forget your drink," Tiana called, as Astrid started towards the door. She went back to grab her latte before heading outside.
Leaning back against her motorcycle, Astrid exhaled as she took a sip of her drink. The last of her adrenaline was fading, though she expected it would be a while before she fully relaxed.
#
"Let's not to that again," Hiccup said shakily, pulling off his helmet now that he was back on the ground, and away from cameras. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before he unhooked his prosthetic foot from Toothless's saddle.
"Agreed," Jack said, rubbing his shoulder. He had been forced to turn around from his own fight to create the ice ramp, and been tackled to the ground by one of the thugs. One who probably looked worse for wear because of that stunt.
Merida, already out of the saddle, grunted something that sounded like an agreement.
They were inside the garage of the ranch house they all lived in. Far enough from the city (and everything else) that Hiccup could keep a dragon (or ten) without drawing attention. And since he had inherited it on his father's death, it saved them all a lot of money for rent.
As soon as Hiccup was on the concrete floor, Toothless turned to nudge his hand with his scaly nose.
Hiccup grinned as he touched the dragon's forehead, rubbing the side of his neck. "You okay, Bud?"
Toothless gave a gummy smile, bobbing his head in what Hiccup believed to be a nod, before he bumped his head against Hiccup's chest.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he said, exhaling. "Shaken, but okay."
He had fallen off Toothless before. Everything from being knocked off, to losing his grip in the middle of a loop when they were upside down. He was usually able to get back in the saddle and pull up, though. This was the first time one of the others had had to save him.
It was an experience he hoped he never had to repeat.
From the way his best friend was nuzzling him, Toothless felt the same way.
"Where's Rapunzel?" Jack asked suddenly, looking around the garage that usually held five of them, instead of just four.
Hiccup had to rack his brain for a minute to remember what Rapunzel had said before she left the art lab that afternoon. His normally well ordered thoughts were currently a mess.
"She went to the art store in Bellevue," he said. "The one in town is out of her normal paints."
"Then I'm gonna go order take out," Merida said, stretching her arms above her head as she turned towards the door into the main house. Her quiver bounced against her hip as she moved, her bow slung over her shoulder.
"Not pizza!" Jack called.
Merida waved him off, then closed the door behind her.
Hiccup chuckled, still petting the dragon that had begun rubbing up against him like an oversized cat.
"You okay?" Jack asked after a minute.
"Yeah," Hiccup said, nodding. "Thanks, Jack."
Jack shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, I owe you."
As far as Hiccup was concerned, any debt Jack owed him had long since been repaid. But his friend held onto the belief that he was still indebted, and Hiccup had given up trying to convince him otherwise.
Toothless pranced over to Jack, nuzzling his side in thanks.
Jack grinned, scratching the dragon's forehead. "No problem, Toothless."
Deciding that he had sufficiently paid his gratitude, Toothless returned to Hiccup's side.
"All I want to do now is eat and crash," Hiccup said, rubbing his face. With adrenaline draining from his system, exhaustion was setting in. But he was also starving, so he couldn't sleep before he ate.
"I like that plan," Jack said.
Hiccup started to nod, but groaned as he remembered. "I can't."
"Why not?" Jack asked. "Please don't say homework."
Looking up at his friend, Hiccup tried to fight back his grin. "Guess who came to commission me today."
"You only get that dopey grin when Astrid is involved," Jack said. "Seriously, dude, work on that."
He gave up trying to hide. "She wants a new leather jacket that looks like armor."
"Right up your alley."
"I had to run out when I got your text, but I promised I'd have some ideas for her tomorrow."
"So do it tomorrow morning," Jack said.
"I have to sleep on it," Hiccup reminded. It was one of his artistic quirks, that he had to draw something, sleep on it, and decide the next day if he actually liked it. After his brain had a chance to mull it over.
Jack, who was not an artist, shrugged. "But, hey. It's Astrid."
"I'm pretty sure she had no clue who I was before Gobber recommended me," Hiccup said. "Remind me to thank him for that. He seems to think he's some kind of match maker."
"She knows who you are now," Jack pointed out. Rapunzel's optimism must be rubbing off on him.
Hiccup nodded, scratching Toothless's forehead again.
They both looked up at the sound of a car approaching the garage, and Hiccup noticed Jack's expression change the moment they recognized the car.
"You know, you give me such a hard time for my 'dopey grin', but you're not much better when Rapunzel walks in."
"Shut up," Jack said.
Rapunzel pulled up just outside the door of the garage, since the space never actually held cars. Only humans, dragons, and equipment. She threw open the door and half flew inside, straight towards Hiccup.
Toothless perked up the moment she came into the garage, leaving Hiccup's side to head butt her hand.
"Hey, Toothless," she said, glancing at the dragon as she began to scratch him from habit. She immediately looked back at Hiccup, her green eyes wide with concern. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Hiccup assured, "Jack caught us just in time."
"You're sure?" she asked. "I mean—"
"We're both fine," Hiccup said, realizing this was just a warm up for when his mother got him. "I promise."
Rapunzel hesitated a moment before throwing her arms around him in a relieved hug. Hiccup smiled as he returned it with equal strength. He and Rapunzel had, at some point, come to look at each other as the siblings they had never had. Which meant he got even more of her worry than the others. (Not even Jack, who seemed more than capable of taking care of himself.)
"He's fine – I'm the one who get bruised," Jack said after a moment, as much to help Hiccup as to get her attention, probably.
Rapunzel pulled back, and Hiccup saw a blush dusting over her cheeks even as she turned to Jack with a playful smirk that bordered on flirtatious.
"What? Tough guy Jack Frost can't handle getting knocked around?" she asked, hands on her hips.
Jack scoffed in mock indignation. "I can handle it. But I wouldn't mind some sympathy. Or gratitude. I did save Hiccup's like, ya know."
Hiccup rolled his eyes. So much for "I owe you".
"Did you get what you needed?" Hiccup asked, before the air could get any thicker with their romantic tension.
"I did," Rapunzel said. "I brought food, too."
"You better go stop Merida before she orders more," Hiccup chuckled. Though food rarely went to waste in their house.
Rapunzel nodded, going back to pull out the bags of food and art supplies from the passenger seat. She headed into the house, but paused in front of Jack. With a warm smile, she rose on her toes to kiss his cheek.
"Thank you, Jack," she said, before vanishing into the house.
Hiccup quirked an eyebrow at the lopsided grin spreading across his friend's face.
Jack's powers receded, white hair and blue eyes turning a warm brown, his skin taking on a warmer tone that spread from the place Rapunzel had kissed.
Jack had been flirting with Rapunzel even before his rehabilitation. Mostly in a teasing way. Since he had joined the team though, Hiccup had watched his whole attitude towards Rapunzel shift. All the cockiness had faded, until even Hiccup was no longer uncomfortable with the thought of them together. Now he was just wondering why Jack wouldn't actually make a move so their relationship would be official.
They both watched her go.
Toothless looked at Hiccup, debating if his human needed him. He seemed to decide that Hiccup was safe for the time being, because he followed Rapunzel, and the smell of food. It never stopped being funny, how 1800 pounds of dragon had to twist to get through a doorway that was too narrow for him. Which might be part of why Hiccup kept procrastinating on his plan to widen it...
After girl and dragon were gone, the friends looked at each other. Their amusement faded quickly.
"I keep trying to figure out if it's a good thing that she doesn't mention Gothel," Jack said. "She agrees she shouldn't be there when we fight her, but the last few times she hasn't said anything."
"Maybe you should ask your Psychology professor," Hiccup said. "I don't know." He wanted to brush it off – it didn't seem like too big a deal. But it was a serious question, and something that might have to be addressed.
Another moment passed, then Jack yawned. "Well, you can do your drawings. I'm gonna eat and crash."
They both went into the house, through the laundry/mud room, and down a short hallway to the spacious kitchen, were Rapunzel and Merida (still in her Braveheart uniform) were serving Chinese food onto plates. They talked animatedly, both laughing. Toothless had taken a seat on the wooden floor where he was out of the way, but close enough to be sure he wouldn't be left out when feeding time came. Not that Rapunzel would forget him.
Jack, his powers still down so he looked like a normal person, began setting the table with plates, chopsticks, and glasses of water.
A fresh wave of fatigue washed over Hiccup. He stumbled, and leaned his shoulder against the wall to brace himself.
He had come very close to dying just a couple hours earlier. He'd had a few near death experiences before. He was missing his left leg to prove it. It was inevitable as a dragon rider with serious thrill issues, and as a vigilante. But today…
If Jack hadn't acted when he did, even a second or two later, Hiccup didn't think he or Toothless would have made it.
The whole thing was terrifying and surreal, and it kept hitting him.
But he was there. He was alive. He was listening to Jack and Merida bicker good naturedly as they prepared for what was, essentially, a family dinner. A ragtag family, but a family none the less.
And to complete that family, the front door opened, and Valka Haddock came in. Her eyes looked around the living room, searching, and taking inventory of everyone. Until her eyes landed on Hiccup. Even from across the room, Hiccup saw the relief wash over her face. Eyes welling with tears that didn't quite fall, she looked him over with obvious concern. Searching for any sign of an injury.
Pushing away from the wall, Hiccup went over to meet her in the living room. Braced to assure her that, yes, he was fine. He didn't have a scratch on him. His bruises were nothing to worry about.
But the words died before either of them could say a word. Instead, he pulled her into a hug.
All his life, he had struggled every time he stood next to his mountain of a father. But with his mother, when he hugged her, he knew just from the feel of her that they were flesh and blood.
He still wore his Night Fury armor, the buckles and gadgets not entirely comfortable as he tightened the hug. But at the moment, he didn't really care.
"Oh, Hiccup," she whispered, her arms tightening around his shoulders.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Hiccup registered that the others had fallen silent.
"I love you, Mom."
Valka's shoulders shuddered with either a laugh or a sob, he couldn't be sure. Her hold on him tightened.
His hands clenched the fabric of her back, not wanting to let go.
"I love you, too, Hiccup," she said.
Tomorrow he would face whatever needed to be faced. And there would be plenty to deal with.
For that moment, he decided to count his blessings. That he was still alive, and he had his friends.