So this is longer than the last chapter, but not quite as long as chapters before. I will get a longer update up soon. But everyone was so concerned with the government thing I decided to get some more clarity out there. There will still be some parallels between this story and the movie. This will help it make more sense. This chapter is important. Very, very important. You'll see.

Disclaimer: Yeah you know it's not mine.

-Ash

Chapter 12

I creeped up to Astrid's house and slowly tip-toed my way to her bedroom window. Thank God her house was one story. I tapped lightly on the glass, "Astrid!" I whispered loudly.

She flung open the curtains; her blonde hair flowed around her shoulders. Woah. I'd never seen her hair down before. So pretty… I blinked away my thoughts when she sneered at me, "What the hell are you doing?" She whispered aggressively back.

"We have a major problem." I mumbled to her.

"Can it wait? It's 11:30! If my parents see you, we're both dead." Astrid growled.

I shook my head, "It can't."

The blonde stared at me intently. I shifted uncomfortably before gazing down at the ground. I was so nervous to tell her what happened. What I was about to do. She was going to be furious with me.

She sighed and opened the glass. Astrid climbed out of the window in her flannel pajamas with irritation. The blonde shut it back lightly, before turning her attention back to me. She crossed her arms and leaned against her house, "What is it?"

"I'm leaving."

Her icy blue eyes grew to the size of saucers, "You're what?"

"I'm leaving Berk. I can't stay here. My dad knows about Toothless. Or- I mean he knows of his existence. I can't explain it. Franklin, his dad, and my dad are looking for Toothless. To kill him, capture him, or something. I don't know what they're going to do, but I can't let them get him." I stumbled on my words as Astrid's face fell.

"Hiccup, you can't leave. Please…" Her demeanor was different. I've never seen Astrid look… vulnerable.

I swallowed and rubbed my arm nervously. I chewed my lip, "Astrid, I can't stay. I have to go. If someone finds Toothless-"

"If someone finds Toothless then you can leave. But you're planning for something that hasn't happened yet." She reached for me and gripped my arm, "Hiccup, you can't leave me. Not after all we've been through."

"Astrid, I don't know what to do. You and Toothless… Don't make me choose." I begged.

"Don't choose! Don't leave!" She cried.

I began to tremble and I could feel my eyes beginning to water, "Astrid. What am I supposed to do? I can't let them hunt Toothless."

"I can't let you leave." She insisted.

"Astrid, he's my best friend!"

"And what am I then?!" She exclaimed.

"Shhh, you're going to wake up your parents." I mumbled.

"I don't give a shit anymore! You can't leave, Hiccup, I love you!"

The entire world stopped on a dime. She sucked in air as if she were trying to suck the words right back into her mouth. My body was frozen solid on the spot. I opened my mouth to speak, but shut it right back again. I gawked at her and air stood still. All sounds seemed to have vanished. Her face was slowly flushing as our eyes stayed locked on each other.

I, somehow, found my breath, "W-What did you just say?"

Astrid swiped her head to the side, "You heard me." She grumbled. Her quivering hands gradually balled themselves into fists.

"Astrid… I…"

"You what, Hiccup? Has this all been a game to you? Have I just been a human voice to listen too? Is that it?" The blonde growled.

"I love you too." The words left my lips before I could stop them.

She spun her head towards me and her entire body loosened. Astrid's eyes softened at me, "You do?"

"I do…" I replied with a nod.

"Then why would you leave me?" She asked.

I fiddled with my fingers, "You were right. This is bigger than I realized it was. I don't want you to get involved. I just… wanted to protect you and do something right for once. I didn't want to hurt you anymore."

"Hiccup, is this because I've been protecting you? You don't have to return the favor. I want to help you." She said.

"But-"

"No. We're in this together. If you're leaving… I'm going with you."

"I can't let you. Your parents already lost one kid. I can't be responsible for the other." I told her.

She gazed down at the ground before sighing, "You're right. I have to stay."

I rubbed my arm awkwardly, "You want to go on one last flight?"

Astrid nodded with a gentle smile, "I'd like that."

The air seemed cooler and stiffer than it had before. Maybe because we both knew that nothing would be the same now. Whether I left or not, it would all be different. Toothless is being hunted and Astrid… loves me. My heart was pounding with multiple emotions. I couldn't even explain them all to myself. I couldn't breathe. I didn't know what to feel, really.

"It's okay."

I was startled faintly and glanced back at Astrid, "What?"

"Everything's going to be okay. I understand that you're trying to protect me. You're right, I can't leave my parents. So you and I need to figure out what's going on together." She smiled at me and lightly ran a hand through my wind-blown hair.

I shook my head, "Astrid. The government is involved in this. It's too dangerous."

"And then what? What's going to happen to you? What if they find you, huh?" She shot back.

Out of nowhere, Toothless began making a soft clicking sound as he tilted is head slightly. He continued the movements and suddenly took us off course in a different direction. Astrid and I gasped from the movement. My Night Fury began soaring into an unknown area. I tried to adjust my eyes in the newly formed fog. When I looked up there were nothing but lights. Very bright lights. I glanced back at Astrid, "Where are we?"

"I don't know… but it doesn't seem good. Look." She replied as she pointed to a large center on the edge of a large cliff-side.

We stopped on the edge of a nearby ridge and watched the large facility. It was a made of some sort of metal. Titanium, maybe. There was a huge caged area behind the building, with what seemed to be electric bars at the top. There were also two square electric cages on the side of the facility. They were connected to a long skyway that led to the building.

There were spot lights travelling back and forth around the place.

"That's their security." I mumbled.

Astrid hummed in confusion until I explained, "This place, whatever it is, is supposed to be secret. Those spot lights are a security system. It detects movement."

The blonde stared at me, "How'd you know that?"

I just shrugged, "I've watched too many movies, I guess."

Toothless backed up into some foliage behind us before crouching down to stay hidden as we watched the building. Suddenly, two drones zoomed past us as we held onto Toothless tightly. The vehicles landed next to the two large cages connected to the skyway. Grown men in armor suits held two tiny dragons that had collars around their necks. The little dragons seemed to be unconscious as they placed them in the cages. A man in white coats walked in from the skyway. The man held a long needle and leaned down next to the downed dragons. He injected his syringe and sucked out, what could be nothing but, dragon DNA. The dragon was awakened by the discomforted and hissed at the man before him. The scientist did not seem phased as he pulled a remote out of his pocket. He hit the button and the dragon was zapped immediately.

My stomach fell and I heard Astrid gasp behind me. She leaned over my shoulder, "Shock collars?"

"They're lab rats…" I murmured in realization.

Toothless growled and began to move from our hiding place. I yanked on his saddle, "No! Toothless!" I whispered in panic. But it was too late. The spot light got us and red lights began blinking in the facility.

"Intruder alert. Intruder alert." A computer voice began repeating.

The man in the suit began glancing around and almost spotted us. I turned my gaze back to Astrid, "You and Toothless, get out of here."

"What're you saying, Hiccup? What about you!?" She cried.

"I'll be fine. My dad's involved in this somehow, remember? I can talk my way out of it. But you and Toothless have to get out of here. I can't lose both of you. Please, go." I replied.

"I-I can't fly him!" She argued.

"You don't have to. Toothless knows the path back through the woods to return to the cove. Go now!" I insisted.

Astrid bobbed her head in understanding. She chewed her lip, "Be safe, okay?"

I nodded in return, "I will be."

She gave one last longing glance at me before climbing back on Toothless' saddle and racing off into the woods on him. I crouched down beside the bushes and waited to be caught. There were sudden bright lights above me and the wind began whipping around me. I looked up to see a drone hovering above me.

"Put your hands up." A voice called from a microphone.

I stood up and held up my arms. A ladder swung down and a man in armor climbed quickly off of it. He grabbed me by my wrists before staring at my face, "Harold? The mayor's son?"

"Um… hi?" I asked with a smile.

The man clamped my wrists together with a pair of handcuffs, "You've got a lot of explaining to do."

Am I really a fifteen year old, straight A student, loser, nerd, innocent kid sitting in an interrogation room right now? Yes. Yes I am.

I fiddled my thumbs against the table while the armor guy kept watch over me. I glanced up at him, "So… am I going to jail?"

He sighed, "Not necessarily, but you do need to tell us why you were at the ODRR Center."

I cocked a brow at him, "ODRR?"

He sat down in the chair across from me, "Operation Dragon Research & Removal. I'm assuming you saw what the scientists were doing. So I'm not going to lie to you, Harold. But this is a top secret operation and we cannot have a fifteen year old boy trying to ruin that because his nose got stuck in where it doesn't belong. Understand?"

I gulped, "Yes. I understand clearly." I paused, "When exactly is my dad getting here?"

"He should be here soon. And don't think you're off the hook when he gets here either. You're still in deep shit." The man growled.

"Yeah, I figured. I just think you're a little more frightening than my dad." I mumbled in response.

He shrugged, "I'll take that as a complement."

As if on cue, my dad burst in through the door. Were those fumes coming out of his ears? Probably. The armored man left the room as my father stomped over to me, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Um…" I chewed my lip and glanced away awkwardly.

"Is that all you have to say? Do you know what you have just done? This is an enormous problem Harold! We have lost the trust in the agencies because I can't keep my own son from finding the damn Operation Center! You have blown the cover of this entire project." He exclaimed.

"And what kind of project is this!?" I retorted. My father was taken aback so I saw this as an opportunity to continue, "One where you torture animals to get information? That's animal cruelty!"

His face fell, "Son, these aren't animals. They're mythical creatures and they're very dangerous. I don't expect you to understand." My father replied.

I shot up out of my seat and slammed my hands on the table, to my father's surprise. "To hell I don't! I understand completely. Do you realize how much research I've done on dragons? I draw them all the damn time! But you wouldn't take the time to know that since you're so busy seeing me as freaking failure!"

My father stood from his seat and wagged a finger in my face, "You don't know the first thing about how dangerous these creatures are."

"They're not dangerous! They can be tamed!" I screeched. I immediately regretted my words.

"What the hell are you talking about? How on God's green Earth could you know that?" He retorted.

"I-In the books. That legend about the boy." I squeaked.

"Legend?" My father was completely confused.

"The legend about the boy who tamed the Night Fury in the Viking era, that the boy was outcast and ran away because no one believed him. His description of the Night Fury is the only one in history." I explained.

My father squinted his eyes at me, "How'd you know about that legend?"

"Fishlegs told me. I-I mean Franklin."

His fist slammed onto the table, "I should've known that boy couldn't keep his mouth shut."

"You're looking for a Night Fury, aren't you?"

My father shot a glare at me, "How'd you know?"

I sat back down in my seat and crossed my arms, "Lucky guess."

Dad pulled his seat back up behind him and sat down. He stared me down, "You're baiting me. You know something."

"Dad, I didn't know dragons were still alive until twenty minutes ago!" I argued but he saw through it.

"You're lying, Harold!"

I shrugged slightly, "Okay. So if I'm lying, what's that mean?"

My father leaned over the table, "This is a government agency, Harold, and if you're lying you can be imprisoned for treason and withholding information."

I took a mental note and weighed my options. I guess being imprisoned is better than having my best friend killed. So yeah. Imprisonment it is. I snorted, "I guess that's it for me then."

"Son, are you serious? What is so important to you?"

"Doing what's right. This ODRR is not going to get that Night Fury as long as I have anything to say about it. I will not let these mystical beings be tortured by the likes of you scientists. Especially a Night Fury. They're a lot stronger than you think they are." I told him in confidence. I've never talked to my dad this way. I was getting kind of a rush. Woo.

"This is ridiculous. That beast could hunt people!"

"But it won't."

"How do you know?"

"I just know! Okay!?"

My father scrunched his eyebrows together and examined me closely. He cracked his fingers into a fist, "You've seen it."

I glanced to the side and then back to him. I merely shrugged. Dad leaned over the table, propping up his elbows and resting his chin against his fingers. He snorted and pointed at me, "What is it that you want?"

"I want to prove to you and this agency that dragons can be tamed."

I tried to describe the ODRR Center the best I could. I hope it makes sense?