aaannnnd next chapter. most of you predicted what would happen :) well done lovely readers!

so thought i would list the ages of the supers because i got a few questions on it.

Ages:

Hiccup-20

Astrid-19

Punzie-16

Jack-19

Snotlout-20

Ruffnut-18

Tuffnut-18

Blood pounded in Hiccup's head as he gazed at Astrid, her blue orbs growing wide with realization. The beeping, which had truly only lasted three seconds, seemed to echo in his head for hours. A terrified, innocent gasp erupted from the young girl's throat and Hiccup's brain struggled to form coherent thoughts.

Not knowing if it would work, if it was even a logical solution, Hiccup grabbed the girl and threw her. Astrid caught her with ease, but landed on her bottom from the impact, clutching the small girl tightly to her chest. Hiccup followed the girl, lunging over the pile of vests.

BEEP.

Mid-jump, he exploded. The girl screamed and Astrid gasped as the wings spanned the room and his thick, heavy claws dug into the tile on either side of them

BEEP. BEEP.

Astrid clutched the back of the girl's head, tucking into her neck. Hiccup eyes caught Astrid's, before he tucked his head over the two and folded his wings in.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The blast was deafening. Heat surged over Hiccup's body, but didn't reach his cool underbelly. If the girl was screaming or crying, Hiccup wouldn't know. The sound of breaking glass and shattered foundation consumed everything.

Then, as quickly as it started, it ended. The sound ceased and the fiery heat left his back. Slowly, lifting his head, Hiccup looked around him. The walls, well, what remained of the walls in front of him, were black with small amounts of flames. He didn't have to turn around to know the man, and any of his companions that had still been alive, were dead. No one could survive that blast unprotected.

Looking down, he gazed at the figures under him. The girl was shaking, face still buried in Astrid's neck. The blonde's face was smeared with dust, but unharmed. Slowly, she opened her eyes and half-smiled lightly,

"Knew you were element proof," Astrid said lightly, smoothing down the girl's hair.

Hiccup returned her smile and, just as he was about to phase back, Astrid's smile vanished. The floor was sloping, angling downwards enough that Astrid slid down a couple inches. Hiccup quickly locked his talons into the ground again and whipped his head around.

The back wall had vanished as well as most of the floor. This section of the building was crumbling, falling to the street below them. Astrid saw this too, peering around one of Hiccup's massive legs.

"Where the hell are you?" Snotlout's voice echoed in their ears.

"Top floor," Astrid answered urgently. "Guys, this whole floor is going down. Did the chief get the people of the streets?"

"Yeah it's all clear." Tuff answered. "Can you get down okay?"

"Um…"

There was a loud creak and the floor angled more. It cracked around Hiccup's talons and he could feel the weight of his body pulling downwards, but he gripped the floor tighter. Astrid hooked an arm around Hiccup's legs and looked worriedly at the girl in her arms.

I'm on my way!" Jack's voice was desperate. Hiccup knew the guy could move quickly on the ice, but wondered if it'd be quick enough.

"Okay, Night Fury," Astrid said, turning her attention back to him. Her jaw was set and her arm tightened around him. "Jack will help us up. No offense, but I don't trust your landing skills enough to carry us down. After he gets here and gets us out, you fly out the back, out of the way of the building. It'll most likely fall after it suddenly loses our weight."

He nodded then heard himself growl as the floor tilted more. Astrid was nearly vertical now, holding hopelessly onto him with one arm. Hiccup saw the beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she struggled to hold the girl and herself up. She didn't have super strength. Unfortunately, her bullets and stealth were no help to her in this situation.

"How's it hangin' Shadow," a voice said from above them. Jack stood in the doorway, on the edge of sloping floor.

"You're hilarious, Frost," Astrid spat. "Come here and take her. Then help me up."

Jack reached down and grabbed the small girl from Astrid. Hiccup caught a glimpse of her face, smeared with tears and fear, before it disappeared into Jack's shoulder.

Astrid reached for Jack's outstretched hand, but was jolted downwards as the floor gave in. Hiccup gave surprise yelp and his claws unhooked from the floor as the fell sideways down the tile. A horrific screeching sound emitted from his claws as he slid and tried to grasp the tile again, but it was no use. Astrid tumbled down, a few feet in front of him, struggling to grasp something as well.

Hiccup fell over the edge and spread his wings. The movement paused his flailing body momentarily, just long enough for Astrid to fall after him and land against his underside. As the air began to rush past him, he closed his legs over her and plummeted to the ground.

As high up as they were, the crash didn't affect him as much as he thought it would. Much like Hiccup's previous crash landings, he felt the concrete crack under his weight and his back burrow itself into the ground. Astrid moved against him, causing his wings and legs to unfold.

She met his eyes and, for a split second, smiled breathlessly at him. Suddenly a shadow appeared above them and Hiccup roared as the floor of the building fell above them, but it stopped seconds later. Snotlout stood above their landing point, both hands holding up the heavy slab of building..

"You're welcome," he said, smirking and tossing it aside.

Astrid rolled her eyes and Hiccup phased back. His face flushed as Astrid flopped down on his smaller, human body. She was half laying in between his legs, with her head on his stomach.

"Oooh, love on the battlefield," Tufff cackled above them.

"Ugh!" Astrid exclaimed, shoving off of Hiccup's body and climbing out of the hole.

Hiccup climbed out after her and was greeted with the sight of the ruined street. Police were coming back on the scene now, along with several news vans. Jack came sliding out the front of the building, passing the girl off to the one of the officers. Hiccup felt the want to go see the girl, make sure she was okay, but she quickly disappeared into the growing crowd.

"You could do better," Ruff hissed, a little too loudly to Astrid.

Hiccup looked away from Astrid's glare and looked at scene around him. Civilians were coming now, cheering and pointing to the supers. Hiccup noted a little boy, tugging on his mother's arm, who was starring open mouthed at him. Cameras flashed and Hiccup had the sudden thought if his dad would recognize him.

Hiccup groaned as he sat down on the couch. His muscles ached and a soreness ran through his legs all the way into his bones. His back felt knotted, knowing it was because of the wings that had ripped from it earlier.

"Feeling alright?" Ruff asked from the opposite couch.

"I feel like I got hit by a truck," Hiccup grumbled, letting his head fall back.

Everyone was in the living room. They'd been home for a while now and night was settling in on their headquarters. The TV was on and they were watching the reports from the bomb threat. Hiccup didn't think he'd ever get used to seeing himself in the black suit, plastered on newspapers and news headlines.

"Well, you were sitting five feet away from an explosion," Wiz said, from across the room. His face was still buried in whatever book he was reading. "And your body is still adjusting."

"That's so cool that you're fire proof," Ruff said, lightly waving her fingers. "Wanna see if you're electricity proof?"

"Um, no thanks."

Punzie was seated cross-legged on the floor, while Astrid fixed the large braid. She hadn't said anything to Hiccup after they got home and he definitely was not going to be the first to say something to her.

"I wonder why they wanted the money," Punzie said softly, watching the faces of the deceased men flash across the screen.

"I have no idea," Astrid answered. "None of it makes any sense."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, from his spot beside Hiccup.

"C'mon," Astrid said, looking pointedly at everyone in the room. "That was way too easy. It took, what, five minutes to defeat those guys? Sure there was the mishap with the explosives, but they gave up too quickly for people who were after millions."

"The guy in charge didn't put up much of a fight," Hiccup agreed, remembering how easily he let Astrid overtake him.

"Exactly. I think it was a set up. I don't know what for, but I think someone wanted us there."

"Who? A villain?" Snotlout asked, from the couch with Ruff and Tuff.

"I don't know," Astrid confessed. "Maybe."

Punzie gasped and pointed to the TV screen they had been momentarily ignoring. "Guys!"

"It's a shame the Guardians were busy today because it looks like Pittsburg wasn't the only city in the world dealing with extreme criminals. CERN, the world's largest physics research laboratory, located in Switzerland reported a break in early this afternoon. Reprogenetics, a facility focused on gene research in Miami, Florida reported the same. No details have been given on either crime, but the heads of both departments tell us they aren't worried. Apparently, nothing of importance was taken."

"Looks like it was a rough day to be a researcher. Wouldn't you say, Diane?"

"Right you are, John. Now, back to the weather-."

"A diversion," Hiccup mumbled.

"They were just a diversion!" Astrid exclaimed. "Someone broke into the two biggest research labs in the world and we missed it!"

"There were people strapped to bombs!" Jack yelled. "What were we supposed to do?"

"It's okay you guys!" Punzie exclaimed, looking around eagerly. "It couldn't be helped."

"Put a lock on it, Little Miss Sunshine," Snotlout snapped. Jack narrowed his eyes, but Hiccup grabbed his arm. "Who knows what those labs were holding that someone wants to get their hands on."

"But the reporter said the people in charge weren't worried," she said, undeterred by Snotlout's outburst. "If anything important was taken, we'd be getting called right now to go take care of it."

"Still," Astrid said. "I don't like it. Who could it have been?"

"CERN is underground," Hiccup said, remembering it from his high school physics class. "I don't think someone would have been able to walk in."

"Who's still at large?" Astrid asked, to Hiccup's confusion.

"Mirror, Dynamo, Blob..." Jack rambled off, counting on his fingers. It took Hiccup a second to realize they were talking about super villains. "Jinx is still locked up from last time and Tsunami hasn't been seen for a while."

"Hm, well I don't know what any of them would want with research labs," Astrid said, wrapping a cord at the end of Punzie's hair. "We'll just have to keep an eye on the situation."

The room dispersed then. Punzie led Jack off to look at some painting she did, Wiz left for his lab, and Snotlout sauntered off to the training arena. As the twins left, talking about making some of their own bombs, Hiccup realized he was left alone with Astrid. She was still seated on the floor, legs crossed and turned away from him. Just as he was about to get up and quietly back out of the room, she spoke.

"You did it wrong today."

"Um, what?"

She turned her torso, braid swinging, and looked at him with a stiff jaw and hard eyes. "Today at the bomb threat. You're supposed to keep civilians safe first."

"I did keep them safe," Hiccup argued. He stood up and started to walk to the hallway, when Astrid stood up blacked his path.

"The right thing to do would have been to get that girl out of there as quick as possible," she said hotly, eyes narrowing. "You risked her life back there."

"And I saved yours!" he replied, voice slightly raising.

"What if you weren't fireproof, Hiccup?" Astrid shouted back, shoving a finger into his chest. She was shorter than him, but it didn't take away from the menacing look she gave him. "She would have died! You save the people first. That's what being a super is about."

"So, I just should have left you there?" he asked. "Last time I checked, supers didn't let anyone die on their watch."

"God," Astrid groaned, dramatically rolling her eyes. "What do you know about being super? If you would just listen to the rules-."

"I'm not following some dumb rule if it means letting my friends die," he snapped at her. "I don't think this has anything to do with the girl at all. You're just mad you had someone save you today instead of it being the other way around."

"Excuse me!" Astrid exclaimed, eyes widening. "You think I'm just bitter?"

"Yeah, I do."

"You don't know anything, Hiccup!" she shouted. "You just got here yesterday. You've been a super for one day and you already did something wrong."

"Saving you're life wasn't wrong," he growled.

"Risking the girl's was," Astrid said through clenched teeth, standing up on her tiptoes.

This time it was Hiccup who rolled his eyes. "I already told you I know this isn't about the girl. It's something else."

"Ugh," Astrid groaned. "You are so annoying! Just go away!"

"With pleasure," he snapped, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking away. "Make sure to make me a copy of the list of rules. I would hate to save another life that I'm not supposed to."

Astrid whirled, wanting to scream another insult, to belittle him more, but he was gone. Her head was hot and angry, but her chest heaved with pain and she sunk down onto the couch.

Astrid hated him. She hated he didn't do what was right for the little girl. She hated he couldn't understand why it was wrong. She hated he didn't want to listen to her. She hated how easily he could make her mad.

She hated the way he looked at her. Astrid hated the feeling that rose inside her when she was laid across his chest earlier. She hated that she already loved his smile, crooked and dorky. She hated his bright green eyes. She hated the way her stomach would flip at the sight of him. She hated that Punzie knew all of this.

But most of all, Astrid hated that she felt all of this and it'd only been two days. Who knew what tomorrow would bring.

emotional tension! i love reading your reviews so please send some more! you guys are great :0