In Berk, a woman, who had a mutated appearance and was quite large, ran through the streets desperately.
"Got to get out of here," she said. "Before they—"
she then turned round the corner and saw a group of people with support items standing there.
"There she is! The monster!"
They then aimed their support items directly at her despite her pleading for them to stop.
"Please don't hit me," she pleaded as they hit her with blasts of water. "Just heading to the shelter! I wasn't doing anything!"
They cater so much that she toppled over and fell to the ground.
"I'm begging you, let me go," she begged.
"You want us to let our guard down so that you can attack."
"We're not stupid! We see you for what you are!"
"And we're not going to let this town suffer another day!"
"No, stop!" she cried.
They fired, but Night Fury arrived on time and protected her with his hologram shield.
"Listen," he said as he looked at the stunned men in front of him. "Please calm down. I totally understand that a night like this makes you extra nervous about an attack, but look at this woman. She's showing no signs of hostility. Just leave her to me, and you can leave."
The men didn't look entirely certain.
"Please," Night Fury insisted.
Fortunately, they lowered their arms but didn't look entirely apologetic.
"Well, someone like that should be out this late."
"What were we supposed to think?"
Night Fury then picked up a number they left behind and gave it to the woman, who was still crying.
"You're safe now," he said gently.
She then took the brother and rose to her feet.
"Why you out here in this weather?" he asked.
"I didn't evacuate," she said. "At first, it seemed like the area wasn't affected as much. I guess I thought that everything would blow over if I held up at home. Then… people around me started getting hurt, and I got scared. That's when I decided to leave to find a shelter. I don't know, just ran so fast."
Night Fury could tell despite her size, she was probably still rather young, maybe only a few years older than him. As she cried, she dropped the umbrella, and he grabbed it, giving it back to her.
"You know, I bet everyone else is scared, too," he said gently.
"You think?" she said. "You think that things will go back to normal?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to try," he promised.
They then heard the sound of a car and saw Stoick driving up towards them.
"I'm sorry, I have to go now," Night Fury apologised.
However, before he took off, Stoick stopped the car and opened the door.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he stepped out.
"Yes, Dad," said Night Fury.
The woman's eyes widened. "Wait, Dad?"
"Will you take me to the nearest shelter?" Night Fury asked. "I've been in one place for too long."
"Wait," said Stoick, holding his hand out, and Night Fury stopped in his tracks. "Here, take this with you."
He then handed him a lunchbox.
"Jeeves made this for you; you should keep your strength up," said Stoick.
"Thanks, I appreciate it," said Night Fury.
He then took off and disappeared from view.
"Son," said Stoick.
Hiccup reached the tallest tower and looked down at the city.
"It's so quiet, you wouldn't think there are villains on the loose," said Toothless.
"I've managed to capture a few villains, but the big ones keep eluding me," said Hiccup. "And things are getting worse; you saw those guys attacking that woman all because she looked different."
"There had been some discrimination between mutates in the past, and now it's resurfacing again," said Toothless.
"No, there is still discrimination going around, though not in the major cities any more, but out in the sticks, that's completely different."
"Hiccup, I'm still concerned about your vitals. You've barely gotten any sleep; if you keep this up, you get yourself killed."
"I know that both the heroes and the please have got their hands full, and I just can't stop. Krogan is even more dangerous than he was before, and that's saying something. He was so powerful that I was unable to stop him back then, even with the aid of Hellfire and Trapster."
"True, what you think you can do alone. You're going to need help when you do finally face him. Maybe it's time for you to reach out to others. I know for a fact that your classmates are worried about you."
Hiccup sighed. "I don't want to get them involved. This is my responsibility and my mess to sort out."
"Okay, but you should at least eat something," Toothless advised.
Hiccup nodded, opened his lunchbox, and began eating the contents.
Meanwhile, Hellfire was dealing with a group of frogs attacking a convenience store elsewhere. One of them was firing his support items while Hellfire hid behind a pillar.
"Idiot?! We've got to get out of here!"
"You ain't going to beat Hellfire!"
Hellfire recogniser support items were initially used for construction work. 'A nail gun support item? To overpower to be used for actual construction. Damn, Destcon. This was meant to be a weapon.'
Two of the thieves escaped from the rear entrance, only for Hawks and Best Jeanist to pull up.
"Hawks?!"
"Crap! Best Jeanist too!"
The thief in the store was still pending Hellfire down with his support item, or at least that's what he believed. However, Hellfire jumped out from behind a pillar and struck him with a fire javelin, hitting him just enough to knock the wind out of him.
"You have no right, number one," said the thief. "Your grunts are worse than mine are. You caused this mess."
"I'm aware of that," said Hellfire. "That's why I'm here right now."
Hellfire met up with Hawks and Best Jeanist, and they handed the thugs over to the police.
"As usual, there's nothing connecting these escapees to our actual target," said Best Jeanist.
"You'd we would be able to get some Intel by this point in the search," said Hawks.
"We'll double down our efforts," said Hellfire.
They then heard someone throwing a metal pipe and turned to see a group of angry people staring them down.
"Disgraces! Get out of here!"
"We don't want your so-called help!"
"If you caught Krogan and the others when you were supposed to, these criminals would still be locked up in their prisons!"
"Take a good look at this town! You turned it into Hell!"
"Hellfire, let's go," said Hawks.
Hellfire nodded, and they made their way over to the car.
"I've been following reports on the news! They say that Krogan was after someone other than you! Which means you're still hiding things from us!"
"We can't trust you!"
"You cowards!"
"The families that Diablo killed were on TV!"
"Did you see them?"
"You created a monster!"
"Stay away from us!"
"Seeing your faces makes me sick!"
"Fake hero!"
"Don't you ever show up here again!"
They continued throwing a number of items at them, but Best Jeanist caught them using his powers.
They soon got another car and drove off, and Edgeshot immediately contacted Hawks.
"Is that so?" he said over the phone. "I see… Yeah, understood… Maybe someone from the Paranormal Liberation Front will crack. Thanks, Edgeshot."
"No progress, I take it," Best Jeanist assumed.
"If we drive in this direction, we'll catch up with Hiccup before long. Would it be better if no one figured out we were working together? People might start throwing things at him, too."
"Right," Hellfire agreed. "Let's put some distance between us. Night Fury has enough of a burden to carry as it is. Even if he is the one who chose the solitary path, we're still using him as bait to draw out the League. The least we can do is not make things worse for him."
"Our enemies are doing too well at laying low. Meanwhile, the supervillains locked up in Helheim are riling up and are most certainly taking orders from you-know-who now. The League's being smart. They'll hide behind the chaos and confusion and use it as a cover to steal Hiccup's power when the time is right."
"Meanwhile, the country's heroes are continuing to unravel," said Best Jeanist. "If I were Drago, I would go on the offensive."
"Right now, his priority is taking over Krogan's body," said Hellfire. "It's like what Hiccup said; after losing to Skullcrusher, he couldn't survive on a life-support system. So he strengthened his protégé's body in order to make that his new home."
"According to Healson's post-raid interrogation, Krogan was brought back online before his upgrade could be fully completed," said Hawks. "I don't know how Drago plans to move into his new digs, but it's clear that Krogan's body needs to be perfected before he does."
"And once that is accomplished, it will focus on his next goal. Take Hiccup's power by any means necessary."
"Still something bothering me about that," Hawks frowned.
"What?" Best Jeanist asked.
"Why does Drago need to switch bodies just to get Hiccup's power? I mean, did you try to steal it six years ago? Why didn't he try again, especially when the League made its debut? Hiccup was experienced back then and hadn't even awakened his super strength. Plus, Skullcrusher had been badly injured during that stuff. Also, he wasn't exactly one hundred percent, either."
"Maybe the damage Drago did to his body prevented him from stealing Hiccup's power," said Best Jeanist.
"Which is where Krogan's younger and fitter body comes into play," Hawks nodded. "I got that, but why is Krogan's hatred such an important factor?"
"From Hiccup's experience when Krogan attempted to take his power during the battle, he was unable to due to Hiccup's immense willpower. Drago had incredible willpower to begin with; after all, he had lived for quite a long time, but with his body damage, he could no longer maintain the connection with someone so wilful."
"But shouldn't Drago's hatred be enough?" Hawks asked. "I mean, he and Skullcrusher had been fighting a long time. Not only that, but Skullcrusher was the one who damaged his body and then took him down. With Hiccup being Skullcrusher's son, surely that is enough hatred for him to steal his power."
"It's possible that his spite is not enough," said Hellfire.
"Whatever the case, no villain we've found has information, and the League is dormant," said Best Jeanist. "They're trying to avoid a fight, so we use that to our advantage. We should start expanding our search, even though that will mean fewer heroes on the street maintaining order."
"I don't know, man," Hawks frowned. "Things get much worse out there, and the public is going to turn against us even more. It'll be harder to rally support."
"Cut away too much fabric, and the design falls apart."
Stoick was back in his car and was currently tracking Hiccup, using the trace on his phone.
"He's still on the move," said Stoick. "Toothless, has he managed to get any rest at all?"
"No, despite my efforts," said Toothless. "Though I understand you carried on without rest for quite a number of years."
Stoick sighed. "He takes after me more than I thought."
Night Fury finally stopped moving, landed on a rooftop and pulled out his phone. He was just about to phone someone when suddenly something shot it—the moment that happened, the tracker on his phone ceased producing a signal.
"What was that?" Stoick asked.
"I still have my connection to Hiccup; he's still alive," said Toothless abruptly. "However, his phone has just been taken down by a sniper."
Toothless also informed Hawks and his group.
"Not good," said Hawks. "We've lost his GPS signal."
"I can guide you to him, but I still don't know the identity of his assailant," said Toothless.
Stoick drove as quickly as he could to get to Hiccup's location, but then he suddenly saw a grenade appearing alongside the window.
'Crap,' he said seconds before the grenade exploded.
Night Fury was still stunned by what had just happened.
"Hiccup, I contacted both your father and Hawks. They'll get it as soon as possible," Toothless informed him. "However, your father will be delayed as he has just been attacked."
"Little boy dressed in black armour," said a woman's voice.
Night Fury translated the boys and saw that he was coming out of the bullet that had struck his phone. The bullet itself looked rather unusual, as if it was made of indigo and pink-coloured hair.
"You're coming with me," said the voice.
'This is not just some random villain, especially bit as well coordinated as Toothless says,' said Night Fury. 'I'm her target. This means that I'm being targeted by a Jailbreak with ties to him.'
"Don't move a muscle, and I'll let you keep your limbs," said the voice.
'This sniper was hired by Drago Bludvist,' said Night Fury.
His assailant was a woman in her 30s with indigo and pink hair. Her arm had transformed into a sniper rifle, and when she pulled out some of her head, she confessed it into the form of a bullet and inserted it into her rifle.
"Is that her?" Night Fury wondered.
Night Fury remembered the warning that Hawks had given him before he started out his crusade.
"From what I'm told, you should be able to hold your own given the power you have," said Hawks confidently, though he still had a troubled look, "but I'm still concerned. Drago and Krogan can't steal your power from you yet, and in the last fight, we confiscated every scrap of Healson's tech we could find. Without that they don't have a way to store metapowers to be transplanted later. So the best choice for the League will be to take you in a live.
"Thankfully, most of the escapees wouldn't stand a chance against you, but there's one woman we should be worried about. We were basically colleagues, though she was my senior. Of course, I'm trying to track her down as well, but Night Fury, if the two of you ever cross paths, run like Hell as fast as you can."
'Bullets made out of indigo and pink strands twisted together,' Night Fury observed.
He turned his head and saw the woman assassin standing on the rooftop opposite him.
"I said don't move," she said.
Night Fury quickly jumped out of the way just as she fired another bullet. He then fired a cable to retrieve his phone and flew off.
'There's no mistake, it's her,' he said. 'Former Public Safety Commission hero Lady Nagant.' He then looked at his phone, which was completely shattered. 'She completely destroyed my secure communicator, which will signal Dad, Hawks and the others that something is wrong. Also, Toothless can still commune with them and update them on the situation. However, even with the warning, they rush in, and they'll be in her line of fire. What should I do? Try to escape like Hawks said, too.'
"Why bother running when you're already mine?" said Lady Nagant.
Night Fury then suddenly saw a bullet curving around the building straight towards him.
'High angle fire?' he gasped and quickly caught the bullet. 'Analyse the trajectory.'
He was able to catch the bullet, but it was pushing him back.
"Now I get it," said Lady Nagant as he loaded her rifle again. "That's why he wants you."
She fired a second shot, in line with the first, which was enough to knock Night Fury way back.
Night Fury remembered a special report on her a few years back.
"Oh, her," said Snipe. "She's insane. If you ask me, she's the best long-range shooter in America, so there's no contest. My power lets me hit any target that I can see within 600 m. I can't choose where the shot hits, and it doesn't pack much of a punch, but not too shabby, right? Her though she can hit the same mark without skill alone and perched 3 km away. She's taken away all my business. I'm going to be set out to pasture.
"The secret is within her bullets; she has the ability to make them in any shape her heart desires. You see her two intone hair get smashed together like putty, which hardens into her ammunition. I'm talking about curling bullets hollowpoint bullets. The sky is the limit. She can even transform her arm into a rifle, making her the walking personification of a sniper rifle. Everyone who shoots targets is jealous of her right arm."
'Precision that even Mr Snipe is jealous of and a good firing rate,' said Night Fury. 'It wasn't for the early warning system I installed in Sharpshot, she would have had me, but thanks to the first shot and the one just now, I can tell where she is about 1 km ahead. Her range is tripled, so there is no point in trying to evade her bullets now or outrun her.'
Night Fury managed to regain control of his fall and then took off straight towards her. 'I have to get close.'
Lady Nagant frowned. "That's the first time someone dodged more than one bullet."
Lying on the ground beside her was Grimmel, a shell of his former self.
"Where's Paps?" Grimmel asked. "We need to hurry the hell out right now."
Lady Nagant approached him. "Yeah, yeah, after I'm finished with this. It's time to hide; the target will see you."
She then picked him up and forced him to hide on the stairs.
"I'm coming, Boss," said Grimmel.
"Just hang out in here for a minute," she said, closing the door.
She then rolled her eyes. "Great, maybe I should have ditched him before."
During the big breakout, Lady Nagant managed to free Grimmel and was more or less dragging him outside.
"Come on, walk faster," she said. "Do you want to be locked up again?"
"Must find him," said Grimmel.
"What is wrong with this guy?" said Lady Nagant.
"Ah, another hero," said Drago's voice. She looked around and then saw, emerging from the smoke was, Drago. "The lovely Lady Nagant. It's an honour to meet you."
"Drago Bludvist," said Lady Nagant, narrowing her eyes. "You know, not long ago, you were my main target."
"Yet here we are," he said, smiling. "I have a favourite to ask of you. You're not like the rest of this rabble. In the coming days, a certain student from Berk High will set out on his own. My request is simple: I would like you to bring the boy to me. A number of annoying guardians will be watching over him from afar; it would be wise to get him alone before you make your move. Perhaps you can wait for a rainy night; I find that atmosphere to be quite—"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Lady Nagant interrupted. "Did I say that I agree to be your pawn? You told the others to go wild. So why am I the only one whose freedom comes with a price?"
"Because you once killed a hero, an ally. You also desire the destruction of this failed society, but that will never come to pass so long as the boy is allowed to play a hero."
Lady Nagant scoffed. "Great, another one of those… damn."
"Paps," said Grimmel.
"The young ahead of the Dragon Hunters," Drago smiled. "A friend of yours?"
"No," she said. "Something is broken in him, but I thought he might be useful."
"He is also a victim, driven to ruin by these corrupt false heroes," said Drago. "Let us seal their coffin shut. Come…" He then extended his hand out to her. "…you're hired for the job." He then bestowed upon her power. "Consider this power an advance."
In the present, Lady Nagant made her way to the rooftop's edge and then jumped. However, instead of falling, she began walking across the air.
"The ability to walk across air," she said as she skipped across the air like a stone being skipped across the water's surface, "nice. I have a mission to complete."