Long ago, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third sought to create a world where humans and dragons could live in harmony. Unfortunately, the desires of mankind hindered his progress, leaving him no choice but to exile the dragons to their underground home, the Hidden World.
Hundreds of years have passed since then. Hiccup and the Dragon Riders and everything associated with them have been lost to time. The dragons have remained in hiding… until recently. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, the dragons revealed themselves to the surface in an event known as the Resurgence.
Nightwatcher, the first Night Fury to appear in over a thousand years, was tasked with eliminating a great threat to the dragons on the surface world. Despite his attempts to remain hidden, the young dragon was discovered... but by a group of humans that sought to protect him rather than kill him.
For most of their lives, Daniel Hockad, Valerie Harper, Benjamin Johnston, John and Julie Torres, and Frederick Ingmire all assumed themselves to be ordinary New Yorkers. Unbeknownst to them, they were actually the present-day descendants of Hiccup and the Dragon Riders, who were all under threat by a militia force known as the Bloody Fists, who wanted no opposition in their mission to use dragons as weapons of war. The Order of the Wing, a secret organization that has observed the Haddock bloodline for centuries, intervened and revealed their heritage to them. They also gave the descendants a mission: a threat to the dragons was re-emerging in the form of the Bloody Fists. And with no Dragon Riders to stop them, they would be unopposed.
After a thousand years, it was time for the fire to be re-ignited.
Realizing everything they knew would be at stake, the group accepted and took up the mantle that their ancestors created. They learned quickly while working to uncover the Bloody Fists' plot, all while their enemy mobilized against them.
After successful strikes and journeys to lands long forgotten, the mysterious leader of the Bloody Fists- who goes by the name Mordred- launched an all-out attack on New York City. The New Dragon Riders were quick to respond, revealing their presence to the world. Thanks to their efforts, the day was won… but not without costs.
The Order of the Wing's leadership has been destroyed, leaving the organization crippled, fractured, and scattered across the globe. Mordred escaped the battle with a vial of Nightwatcher's blood, which he plans to use to retaliate against the Riders. But the team, who are now adjusting to their new lives as heroes, refuses to let their guard down yet.
The Bloody Fists have been defeated, and they continue to lick their wounds while plotting their revenge. Humans and dragons are still learning to coexist with each other; a process that will not be quick or easy. The Riders know that the Fists will strike back… and when they do, they will be ready to continue their ancestors' legacy.
Or will they?
...
Somewhere off the coast of Nova Scotia
2200 hours
July 25, 2019
The night was black, save for the light of distant stars and the glowing pale moon overhead. The ocean waves were shifting and crashing against the rocks, smashing against the shore with tremendous force. And on those rocks, a military-like establishment towered over the Atlantic sea.
It was a site hidden from prying eyes, perfectly camouflaged thanks to jamming systems and a reflective exterior. Helicopters and small boats traveled to and from the facility while armed soldiers in black and red patrolled the perimeter. Each one had a distinct symbol on their shoulder pad: the symbol of a red fist thrust into the air, a common sign of revolution.
One soldier marched across a balcony overlooking a central courtyard; one where a jeep slowly drove through past security checkpoints. He glanced down at the vehicle for a moment…
THWACK!
And the man fell flat on his back. His unconscious body was dragged into the shadows. From the darkness, another figure crept out in his place. Their face was hidden from sight thanks to a blank black-and-white mask. The figure walked to the edge of the balcony, staring down silently at the scene below.
The Bloody Fists had a surprisingly high presence here. But what was so important here? What were they hiding?
Distant radio chatter drew the figure's attention, prompting them to roll behind a watchtower for cover. The stranger crouched and made no sound, patiently waiting for the soldier to march past their position. Without a glance at the watchtower, the soldier walked by, allowing the figure a chance to silently slip past.
The masked stranger slowed their pace, drawing something from behind their back. A piece of metal unfurled from two ends, forming a sleek compact bow with a sight for aiming assistance. The masked stranger drew an arrow from their quiver and attached it to the bow, drawing it back.
They aimed higher into the structure, on an upper-level walkway located at the main base of the facility. They released, sending the arrow sailing through the air with a sturdy tensile-strength rope at the end. The arrow embedded itself into the metal flawlessly, giving the figure a moment to check the strength of the rope.
One soldier on the parallel walkway turned his head… and paused at the sight of the figure. "What the-?"
He was suddenly cut off when something big and inhuman tackled him. The figure never bothered to investigate this; they only continued their ascent by rappelling upward toward the higher level. During the figure's climb, another soldier came across the arrow and paused at the sight of it. He leaned in to investigate…
...and the figure slammed its foot into the side of his head, hard enough to crack the visor of his helmet. Wasting no time, the figure rushed towards another soldier and struck him with an elbow. Sending him tumbling to the ground, the figure snatched his rifle out of his hands and slammed the butt across his head, knocking the man out cold.
The figure heard the click of another rifle meters behind them. It was followed by a startled voice; one they were not surprised by.
"Hey! You! What are you doing here? This is a restricted ar-"
A loud thump cut off his words, which were replaced by a low growling noise. The figure turned around and faced the source of the interruption: a large shape atop the soldier with gleaming silver eyes. Eyes that watched the figure intently. The figure only gave the shape a small gesture with its head, readying its bow again.
Taking the rope from the arrow, the stranger tied it around their waist and pulled it, securing it tightly to their form. It looked at the shape, which hovered over the edge of the walkway with a peering head.
Two grunts came from its throat, to which the figure replied with a quiet nod. Retrieving two arrows from the quiver and readying them, the figure approached the edge of the walkway… and jumped off.
The figure swung down towards the level below, where two soldiers stood guarding a door. Before they had the chance to raise their weapons, two arrows lodged into their beings; one in the shoulder and another in the forehead. Both collapsed before the figure's feet met the metal of the walkway. They grabbed one man by the wrist and placed his hand on a scanner, listening for the beep of approval. Once it came and the door slid open, the figure looked back at the shape with the silver eyes.
The figure made a motion for it to follow but remain outside as it did so. The shape grunted in acknowledgment while the figure continued its way indoors. They paid no attention to soldiers who detected them from outside, as they were swiftly and silently neutralized by the shape. With their bow in one hand and the other subconsciously twirling an arrow, the masked figure strode down the hallway.
"Attention," declared a voice from distant loudspeakers. "Primary testing for Subject Five-Six-Zero-Two will commence in t-minus five minutes. Repeat, primary testing for Subject Five-Six-Zero-Two in five minutes. Please ensure all necessary protocols are accounted for."
The stranger pondered the words. Testing? Would that explain the cages they saw on the vehicles being transferred inside the building? If this was about their dragon weaponization program… Well, they couldn't put a stop to it, not when they were so deep in enemy territory. But at least they could uncover something about it.
The figure's companion moved alongside them in a practiced fashion, weaving around searchlights panning the area. It ran ahead of the figure for a moment when they reached closed doors, leaving them looking out the window for its return.
The companion returned into view, giving out a growl of warning. Raising one claw to the glass, it gently tapped against the surface five times. The figure nodded in appreciation, knocking the arrow into the bow. They marched up to the door… which slid open, revealing five soldiers who whirled their heads toward the intruder.
The stranger immediately shot the head of the first soldier and sliced the sharp end of their bow across the second one's throat. The figure dove into a cartwheel as bullets sprayed from the third man's rifle, sweeping out his legs from underneath him. The figure jabbed the bow blade-end first into his abdomen and drew another arrow, shooting it straight down the barrel of the fourth man's rifle. A small explosive burst came from the jammed rifle, knocking the man to the floor.
The figure jumped into the air, replacing its bow with two lightweight swords. They drove both blades into the man, silencing him. Moving swiftly to take advantage of the final soldier's surprise, the figure spun and slashed the man, burying one blade into his back. With a gasp, the man fell quiet.
The figure withdrew the swords and expertly spun them, placing them back in their sheaths. They needed to find where this "test" was being held and find out what the Bloody Fists were up to. And the most important part; be discreet about it.
The figure removed a grate from a ventilation duct and got down on all fours, starting to crawl inside. There had to be a chamber or something similar nearby, one of critical importance. The stranger just needed to find it.
Schematics for this place could only do so much, as even blueprints could be outdated. Aside from what the stranger could recall, they listened for sounds of activity and followed them. It was time-consuming, to say the least… but luck was on the stranger's side.
They emerged near a shaft overlooking a large, circular chamber. Distant voices spoke words that failed to reach their ears, but what caught the figure's attention was a mechanical whirring sound.
From the floor of the room, a platform lifted a cage into position. The door unlocked and swung open: from inside, the stranger could hear reptilian-like noises. They focused their gaze on the cage, watching as a winged figure marched out into the chamber.
A Monstrous Nightmare, scarred by physical torment thanks to the Bloody Fists, growled in anger and hate as it viewed the area around it. It snarled a few times, wanting nothing more than to reduce all who caused it pain to ash.
The figure knew the feeling. The creature was suffering, but not because of its potential use as a weapon. But if not that, then what?
"Deploying specimen. Standby."
Something the figure couldn't see drew the dragon's attention. It appeared confused at first before dropping into an aggressive stance. Another mechanical whirring echoed throughout the chamber as something else- possibly another dragon- was lifted into the chamber. Whatever it was, it had the Nightmare on edge.
The dragon began to slowly advance, hissing at the newcomer. The unseen arrival just growled in reply. The figure tried their best to identify the species by sound but… nothing sounded even remotely familiar.
"Commence primary testing. Subject Five-Six-Zero-Two. Objective: analyze the specimen's peak combat level. Begin."
A loud screeching noise tore through the chamber, enough to make the figure grunt and cover their ears. The Monstrous Nightmare roared furiously in response, breaking into a charge. The dragon darted out of the figure's sight, leaving nothing for them to see but the metal surface of the chamber floor.
A combination of roars, snarls, and growls replaced the sight of the Nightmare. The chamber briefly lit up in orange color, notifying the figure that the Nightmare was letting loose with a wave of flammable kerosene gel. In the light of these flames, a shadow darted about: something too quick and elusive for the stranger to make out.
The orange light soon dimmed out, replaced by flashes of blue and electric sparks. The Monstrous Nightmare stumbled back into view, howling as a medium-sized dragon clung to its back. Lightning danced across its form as it bit and clawed into the larger dragon. The Nightmare grabbed the other dragon by its tail and threw it against the chamber wall with a loud bang.
The figure narrowed its eyes behind its mask. The sounds it made, ranging from high-pitched screeches to raging bellows, didn't ring any bells to the figure. They knew of a dragon that utilized lightning in battle, but this dragon couldn't be it. Its shape (or what they could make out of its shape) was slender and long, meaning it had to be quadruped.
There was a bright flash of light, followed by a loud explosion that connected with the Monstrous Nightmare. Smoke and electric sparks filled the air as the larger dragon cried out in agonizing pain. Near its right shoulder, a bloody mark was visible. The Nightmare lunged again, only for an intense bright bolt to smash into its claw. Another screech followed as the dragon struggled to stay upright, covered in scratches and claw marks.
The Nightmare whined in pain, unable to continue fighting. It turned its eyes to the mysterious dragon, which only growled slowly. And then came another bright flash…
...and the Monstrous Nightmare fell dead on the floor, a huge gaping hole in the center of its throat. Bits of static electricity arced near the wounds and its slayer hissed. Another screech erupted through the chamber, and this one made the masked stranger tense up. The dragon's shadow loomed across the floor… and from the shape of the silhouette, the figure finally realized what kind of dragon it was.
"No…"
"Primary testing complete. Subject Five-Six-Zero-Two combat proficiency at adequate levels."
The figure didn't stick around to hear any words that followed. They needed to leave now. They needed to get back to New York. They had to find them and warn them about that… that thing the Bloody Fists had made before it was too late.
As the figure crawled away, the sounds of hideous screeching and roars flooded both the ventilation system and the hallways of the facility. The sounds of not a dragon… but a monster.
