Ch. 20- Discovery and Ambush

Merida POV

It's time to go on the boat. Jack, with his floatie, is still terrified. He's holding onto the sides and his white ring for dear life.

Jack is going to be the Watcher of the Boat. I could tell he was relieved to not have to go in the water.

3. 2. 1. SPLASH! I'm surrounded by white bubbles. When they clear, I see blue light filtering around a white, sandy landscape filled with fish and the occasional Fin. There's a whole bunch of seaweed in the direction I saw the talon in. I gesture to the others, and swim towards it.

They all follow, me, and I see the occasional flash of reflected light. Some are from fish scales, but others are seemingly without source.

When I get to the giant clump of seaweed, I look around. There is no uncovered patches. I scrape some off, but it's pretty thick. Darn. I can't see anything. I swim to the top of the clump and gulp air. I dive back down.

The others are here now, and I motion downwards to check out the feet. After a bit of searching, I find the talon that the lightning uncovered. I start to pull of the covering from there. Every once in a while, I have to go up and get air. The others join me, and we have uncovered a whole leg. It's going to take a while to uncover the whole thing, but we are going to do it.

We have the whole thing uncovered! God, its midnight by now. We have had to use night-vision goggles that we found and got from sponsors. But damn, this thing is worth it! Imagine it: a giant bronze dragon. Leo has taken a likening to it. He's trying to decide between calling it Festus after Hephaestus, or Nessie. I'm personally leaning towards Festus.

Leo is pulling Percy somewhere. Oh yeah, he's found the part on the schematic that has the activation area. He's grabbing Percy's sword… he's sticking it in a plate… he's already put the saddle on it…

It's probably bad to be by it's head right now! God, help me!

I swim around to the side as the eyes light up bright, blood red. He roars, bubbles coming out at sizes never seen before, and he turns his head around to look at us. He flicks his head towards the saddle.

Leo is the first to climb on. The rest of us nervously hang on as he spreads his wings and bursts out of the water.

I realize it at the last second. "Where are the seat belts?"

We are all holding in for dear life now.

I decide to look down.

The boat is overturned.

Panic.

"JACK!" Oh dear God, please say…

Phew. There's his head, right now, with that ridiculous-looking floatie.

But as Festus continues to flap, Jack is blown closer and closer to shore.

Jack POV

Woooooow. I never in my entire life expected a giant bronze dragon that can actually fly.

And they're riding it. Lucky.

I'm getting back to shore, which is good… but I have a bad feeling about over there.

Bam! Whiz! Zing!

Bullets rush by me as I run. I can't see my attackers, but I have a pretty good guess. That is confirmed when they come running out of the undergrowth.

Yep. Jason, Piper, Astrid, and Fishlegs. Since when did Jason get a gun?

Seeing (and hearing) the bullets, I feel the dragon land. The others come running off. Leo and Hiccup engage Piper and Fishlegs, while Rapunzel runs over to help Hic. Percy attacks Piper. That leaves me and Mer.

I'm running, running, Merida not missing a beat by my side… Jason has stopped shooting, waiting for an open target. Well, he's not stupid, I'll give him that. You can't just collect bullets out of trees.

Aack… it's a dead end! We ran right into a pond with trees around it (and rubble) so you can't get through! Damn! Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn damn…

Jason grins. "I guess I'll just take you two down then. Two of the most wanted in these games. By me… heheh, enjoy you're… vacation…" he raises the gun.

He's aiming at Merida.

Click… everything seems to move in slow-motion. Bang… I see the small explosion inside the small, silver pistol… it's heading towards her…

Pain. Lots of it. And before I know it, the impact of the bullet pushes me into the pond.

A mixture of a pitch- black smoke-like substance and my blood float around me in the water. Even from under all of it, I can hear her scream…

My lungs are burning. I hear Emma's voice… her laughter…

My mother's reassurances that there are no monsters in my closet…

Hiccup's smart-aleck voice…

Rapunzel's sweet singing…

Percy's chuckles…

And Merida's voice, replaying all the things she's ever said to me…

And I see them all fade away before my eyes.

My vision turns black.

Hey, Mer… I guess I did repay that life debt after all…

Merida POV

I scream as Jack topples into the water. Jason looks startled for a moment, then shakes it off. "Hey, I got to take him out, and that's good. Looks like the idiot can't swim." He grins savagely. "And I'll get you, too, besides his 'oh so noble' sacrifice."

He shoots me in the arm. A big cloud if black smoke obscures me, and then I black out.

Hiccup POV

Merida's scream sounds everywhere. Abandoning Fishlegs, Me and Rapunzel run to our teammate's aid. Leo and Percy quickly join us.

We arrive to see no sign of Jack, Merida slumped against a tree surrounded by black smoke, and Jason grinning like he's lost his sanity.

He cackles. "Ooh! More victims." He fires twice, too fast for us to react. The bullets each hit Leo and Percy in non-fatal places, but the black cloud surrounds them and they slump to the ground.

I frown. Poison, maybe? Or it possibly could just have knocked them out…

He raises his pistol once more. Rapunzel charges in with her frying pan, eager to give him brain damage, but a shot in the leg stops her in her tracks, she too unconscious.

I'm the last one. Or maybe Jack escaped, or is still out there… I hope so.

"My last victim for today. Are you wondering where Overland is? He's not coming to the rescue, if that's what you're thinking. Oh no, let's just say he's deep, cold and wet right now." He grins insanely.

Jack… is in the… no… why? How?

The last thing I remember was pain exploding in my leg.

Jason POV

Finally. Those guys were causing me a lot of trouble… they look pretty dead. But as I go and check up on that red-haired girl's pulse, something makes me freeze. I drop the gun.

A ladder drops down from a hovercraft. Puzzled, I climb up, the others following me.

It beams the ones that I shot up. Except Jack. No point in taking a dead body I guess.

One of the people approach me. I feel a small pinch, then I suddenly feel exhausted. I fall asleep.

Merida POV

I wake up in a nice, soft bed, immediately puzzling. The last thing I remember…

Oh.

Right.

Jack's dead.

And I've been shot.

I look at my arm. Wait… what? There's no sign of a bullet wound. Maybe it was all a bad dream.

I walk outside the door. Festus is currently de-activated, and in the middle of the room. So it wasn't some crazy, messed up dream after all…

The first live person I see: Jason-Freaking-Grace. No debate. I launch myself at him.

"I'll kill ya! Ya killed Jack! I'll kill ya!"

But then, out of nowhere, an adult in white appears, holding me back. "I understand. But we can't kill him yet. We still have some stuff to go through with you, him, your friends, and others." I faintly recognize the voice.

Hiccup is standing in the doorway. "Huh? Is… that you?" He asks. "Gobber?"

Gobber laughs. "Yep! Now, let's take you too the boss. He'll tell ya everything.

Ohh… short, but emotionally exhausting. I think.

YES! I KILLED OFF JACK! *MANIACAL LAUGHTER* YES! YEs! Yes! yes… heheh.

I'm eeeeeviiil.

Jack is dead. We shall have a moment of silence just for this awesome character.

*all is still* R.I.P. Jackson Overland.

Okay, on a happier thought, on request of Galatea R.S, cookies for all my friends!

(::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)

There. That should satisfy.

G'syr: Shoutouts!

Nargle006: Thank you. I'd always think that it would be ironic if he drowned and had Hydrophobia.

Galatea R.S: Why thank you! This story wouldn't do so well if there wasn't a sequel! And after all the little plot-hints too… and silver pistol… well, I'm sure you can guess what they silver pistol was by now. Heheheh. And here's your cookies! Thank you for reviewing!

Sol: Anyway, I have one more chap and then an epilogue. And then the sequel. I will announce the name in the epilogue if you're interested! n_n I felt like thus chap was a bit rushed, though… sorry.

Anyway, g'bye!

G'syr: Goodbye!