Yggdrasil
the tree has many branches

I was reading vala411's Phantasm the other day and this just popped up in my mind and I just couldn't not write it... I'm a sucker for superhero-aus!

Warnings: grammatical mistakes, contextual angst...

Disclaimer: The How to Train Your Dragon franchise is property of Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks Animation.

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world 03

superhero/spy!au

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When Astrid had started her superhero career, she had expected the struggle.

She knew, from watching her own uncle, being a superhero wasn't easy. The pressure, the stress of making the right decisions, the fact that everyone depended on you, that people easily placed their lives on your hands, fully trusting you; it took a toll on you. When she had been little, Astrid had craved that recognition.

Now? She just wanted it to end.

"Congratulations, Nadder! You finally got him!"

"We knew we could count on you!"

"Finally! The streets are safe!"

It was all she was hearing all morning. It was as if everyone was ignoring her red face and puffy eyes. Then again, she didn't let anyone see her cry. Not even her teammates.

She sniffed again and willed her fingers to stop shaking. The engagement ring in her grasp did little to ease the tightening in her chest.

When the Mayor had given her the mission to hunt down Berk's Elite Criminal, she knew she had gotten her chance. Night Fury was a plague Berk had never seen before; quiet, ruthless, cunning, a solitary villain who was known for his quick escapes, daredevil tricks, and accurate blasts. Responsible for leaking top and confidential government files to the League of Villains.

Astrid had expected a monster. Instead, the love of her life was behind the mask.

She looked back at the heavily guarded interrogation room. The Mayor along with the Head of the Hero Affiliation had been in there for almost an hour. Astrid bit her lip and squeezed her eyes closed. She knew she shouldn't care; he had lied to her, used her, deceived her, played with her heart for five years. And yet…

She remembered his sweet words, his kisses, his nervous face when he dropped on his knee and asked her to marry him. How his eyes lit up when she said yes, and how long he hugged her right after.

"I love you with all my heart and I want to spend eternity with you, Milady. If you will have me."

She dropped her eyes back at the sparkly engagement ring; she had to know. Was everything just a lie? Did he even feel anything for her, at all?

Setting her jaw, she walked up the side door of the room. If the guards noticed her, they didn't stop her. She slipped right into the dark room, her eyes narrowing at the tinted mirror-glass. The diamond cut in her palm when she saw his profile; ruggedly handsome with sharp eyes and even sharper jaw. His hair seemed longer, falling over his eyes. Her heart gave a rough tug when she noticed he still had her braids behind and over his ear. On the other side of the table, Stoick scowled down his only son while Spitelout was taking notes.

"So, the attack plans had been faked? A ruse?"

Hiccup nodded, "Yes. They wanted to cause panic and distract the Hero Affiliation away from the base. They were planning on a full-scale invasion."

Mayor Stoick stroke his beard, "And what was your role in all this?"

Astrid flinched at the sharp tone and despite herself, fear over Hiccup's fate gripping her belly. Hiccup merely shrugged, "I was with the first wave. Lead the attack on the other side of the city. The only one who knew the full battle plan was Krogan, everyone else was none the wiser."

Spitelout hummed and then nodded, clicking his pen and putting his binder down, "Okay, then. Your cooperation was the most helpful."

"What about my situation?"

"The Board will adjourn this evening. We will have an answer by midnight."

Astrid let out a breath as Spitelout shuffled his papers, ready to leave. This was it. The Board of the Affiliation would be deciding what would happen to him. Now, all she had to do was wait until they left the room so she could talk to Hiccup alone.

Five minutes later and Astrid let a scowl mar her features. Spitelout was still ruffling his papers, while Stoick and Hiccup stood in stony silence. What were they doing? Weren't they going to leave? The guard would be here soon, she won't have enough time to talk to her –ex? Were they still together?– fiancé.

There was a click and the four cameras in the interrogation room sparked and stopped working. Astrid blinked as the tension in the room evaporated. Stoick lost his stony façade, Spitelout smirked, while Hiccup slumped back on his seat. All three men breathed much easier than before; what was happening?

"I swear I'll never get used to this." She heard Hiccup say.

Spitelout's smirk grew, "You volunteered, lad. Had to keep pretenses."

"Almost done, son." Stoick said, "A few more days and everything's over."

Hiccup blew out a breath and nodded, "Found the mole?"

"Ingerman's on it. We'll have results in a few hours."

Hiccup nodded again before pushing his chair back. He brought his left leg up and fumbled with his prosthetic. A second later a black USB slid across towards his father.

"Found it, then?"

"Of course. We got him. We can finally take him down, dad."

Stoick met Hiccup's hard eyes and smiled ruefully at his son, "I'm sorry you had to do this, son. I know it wasn't easy, but it's over now." The Mayor reached over and took his son's hand in his own and squeezed, "Time to come home."

Astrid watched as Hiccup smiled, a grin growing matching the one of his dad's. Her breath caught as the dots connected in her head, "I hope you know, I'm never volunteering of going undercover ever again, right?"

Stoick laughed while Spitelout rolled his eyes, "Aye, we know, lad. You only said it a hundred times."

Hiccup chuckled at his uncle before looking down at his lap, "Only one thing left now." Shyly he looked up at the two, "Can I talk to her?"

"You know the rules, lad. No contact with anyone other than yours truly." His uncle said, pointing at himself and Stoick. The Mayor sighed at Hiccup's pained look.

"Do you want me to tell her anything?"

"I just want her to know that everything was real. I love her more than my life. It wasn't a game; she wasn't a game to me. Everything was real, my promise was real." Her eyes were blurry but even then she could see Hiccup looking over the mirror-glass from the corner of his eyes. He knew she was there. Astrid wanted to scoff; of course, he knew, stupid man. She was an open book to him.

"I'm sure she knows, son. She's a smart woman."

Hiccup bit his lip, "It's just, the last time we saw each other she told me she hated me. I want to make things right. I love her, dad."

Astrid didn't see Stoick nod nor heard him promising to tell her just that. She sniffed and cleaned any and all wayward tears from her cheeks, took a breath and exited through the side door. Quietly, she took her seat a few feet from the interrogation room. She kept her face in a stony, confident mask that betrayed nothing.

No one noticed her eyes looking down at her engagement ring, back on her left ring finger.

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