Dan had never been on a burning ship before, but he didn't want to stay longer than necessary. Get in, find survivors, extract them, and get out. Simple, right? Well… not exactly. Smoke assailed his nostrils and he could barely hear anything over the sound of his own coughing as well as the continuously-blaring alarm that was threatening to merge into his mind.

"Hello?!" he managed to call out while keeping himself from accidentally inhaling smoke. "C-Can anybody hear me?!" Dan doubted anyone would respond immediately, and even if they did, their weak voices would've been drowned out by the crackling flames and the wailing alarm. The main deck was devoid of anything that was moving save for him, Val, and their dragons, their formerly-mythical companions shielding them from the worst of the destruction with their wings. And aside from wreaking havoc on his sense of smell, the smoke was shrouding everything from sight. A frustrated groan turned Dan's watering eyes to Val, who retracted her helmet.

"Turns out heat signatures don't work well when you're surrounded by heat! HEY! Is anyone out there?! Is…" Her words degraded into choking coughs, keeping her from calling out further. They were running out of time. The ship didn't have much left on it, and if they didn't do something, they'd either burn or sink with it. Dan desperately scanned the area as best as he could through moist eyes…

"Wait… there!" he called out, pointing to a shape within the smoke. "Nightwatcher, fetch!" The dragon was charging towards the shape in an instant, barging through the flames that were nothing to him thanks to a fireproof exterior. The Night Fury vanished from sight for nothing more than a moment before he returned, wings cradled tightly around his retrieved object like a parent holding a baby. Val looked perplexed at Nightwatcher's discovery. "What is it?! What'd you-"

"No time! We gotta go!" Dan hoisted himself onto Nightwatcher's back like it was second nature to him, the dragon making a break for it while Val and Spike did the same. There was a rush of heat and a wild roar of flame from behind them, consuming the ship and barely missing the dragons as they made their escape. It took only a few seconds before the ship was reduced to a roasting heap of metal and slowly sunk into the sea, steam mixing with the smoke as fire met water.

The Night Fury and the Nadder didn't stop beating their wings until they returned to their previous perch, the rising cloud like a smokestack in the distance. Dan had already dismounted before his dragon touched the ground, scrambling to see what his friend had uncovered from the doomed vessel. From the corner of his eye, he could tell Val was similarly anxious due to how hastily she dropped to the ground. As if sensing their aching curiosity, Nightwatcher backed away from what he had snatched up…

…and the Riders went still. At their feet was a still human female, blonde hair strewn about in wisps and her blank face devoid of any sign of consciousness. The soot staining her outfit blocked all notable features, and several more patches coated her cheeks alongside small burns on whatever exposed skin they could see. Dan moved carefully towards the still figure, pressing two fingers to the girl's neck.

"She's alive," he whispered after a moment. "Barely. I… I think we got to her just in time." Nightwatcher sniffed the unmoving body, concerned for the stranger's safety.

"So…" Val was hesitant to speak. "What do we do with her?" Dan already had an answer for that, but he wasn't sure about what would happen if he followed through. Val was right, everyone had enough on their hands as it is. But they couldn't just…

"Val…" he began. "We need to bring her back home." He braced himself for… for what? Backlash? Refusal? Scolding for putting one more thing in the team's path before reaching the Fists?

"O… okay," Seems like she had some sense after all, then. "And when she wakes up?" If she thought Dan hadn't thought that far ahead, she had another thing coming. "We'll take it easy, try not to freak her out. Then we get her back on her feet and try to figure out who she is… and where she came from."

"What do you think happened back there? On the boat?" Val asked. "Was it an accident?" This wasn't the time for questions; Dan wanted to save them for when she woke up. "I don't know… but when she comes to, she can tell us everything. Let's go."

There was no objection from the raven-haired rider, reminding Dan that Val trusted him at heart when the situation called for it. That was another thing she had inherited from Astrid and Hiccup alike: the will to act without hesitation when the situation called for it. "Right. I'll call the guys, and let them know we're bringing back a visitor." She was already up in the air without another word, and it took Dan a moment to snap out of his thoughts and follow.

…

The secluded manor within the state park was an ideal location for a stronghold and a home, repurposed and modified to the team's benefit by the people who brought them together. People who, much to Dan's chagrin, fell to a foe they knew they could not defeat. A group that had existed for centuries, transitioning from a dragon-worshiping cult to an international organization dedicated to preserving the bloodlines of the Old Riders, the Order of the Wing was surprisingly ill-prepared to face the Bloody Fists directly. They were observers rather than fighters, which their enemy realized quickly. Dan still remembered the day the entirety of the New York branch was decimated, and he didn't want to think about how many more fell with it. If there was anything left of the Order, they were probably in hiding… just like whatever remained of his family.

He was alone… but at the same time, he wasn't. That reminder came the instant he opened the main doors, where a cheery voice wasted no time in revealing its presence. "D! Finally, you're just in time! Wait 'till you see the awesome new logo Jules and I drew up!" Dan barely had time to register the new arrival when a piece of paper was shoved into his face like a discarded newspaper carried by the wind. "Gah! John! Seriously?"

"Whoops, got a little too excited there. Sorry, dude," The paper retreated to a considerable distance, allowing Dan to get a good look at both it and the pair of glinting green eyes beneath a mop of messy brown hair, the artist offering an apologetic smile. "Whatcha think?" The drawing in question was rather… simplistic, as it consisted of nothing but the Night Fury insignia of the old Strike dragon class within a shield, two dragon wings spread on each side of the defensive armament.

"It's… a start?"

"Great! More room for improvement!" The young man darted off before Dan could say anything else, so he turned his attention back to his current partner with a sigh. "Okay… maybe I was away for too long."

"That's putting it lightly," A new voice made itself known, drawing Dan's attention to a broader figure leaning against a wall. "Running errands for the DPS, Dan? You're supposed to be our leader, not Alice's star pupil or whatever."

"Ben, I am not-!" Dan sighed, catching himself in the nick of time. "Look, have you seen Fred around? We've got something he needs to look at." Before Ben had the chance to respond, an overdramatic yawn flooded everyone's earshot. "More science stuff? Booooriiiiing!" Dan turned his unimpressed gaze to a bright blonde-haired girl lazily thumbing through a comic while draped across the couch, turning her head back so she was staring at him in an upside-down fashion. "I mean, unless it's that super-secret stuff he's been talking about, which I know is gonna be awesome as… whoa, who's that?"

Nightwatcher was standing in the doorway now, the unconscious girl draped across his back and on the verge of unceremoniously falling off lest the dragon cease adjusting his position. "We found her on a burning ship, Julie," Val quickly explained. "And she needs help."

"Fred's in his usual place," was all Ben said before motioning for Dan to get a move on. After taking the unmoving figure into his arms and allowing Nightwatcher to retreat back outside, Dan made his way to the manor's sublevel with Val right behind him. Their home didn't have an ordinary dainty basement; down there was what Dan affectionately called "the necessities''. Dragon stables, a holographic training simulator, an updated database on dragons, a medical bay, and a laboratory where his best friend could be normally found. If not for Fred's makeshift "survey station" up in the attic where he oversaw the team's mission progress, the sublevel would have all the fun.

The glasses-wearing self-proclaimed dragon expert (like his equally-nerdy ancestor before him) barely acknowledged their arrival until Dan clearing his throat was enough to draw his attention away from whatever current project he was working on. "Oh, Dan! You're back! I-" It didn't take long for him to notice the girl in his friend's arms, which made him freeze for a second. Then, as if his brain had to remind his body what to do, Fred swiftly shoved the clutter off the lab's central table. Dan gently set the unmoving body down while his friend fished out medical equipment from a cabinet.

"Where'd you find her?"

"A burning boat," Val answered. "We're lucky to have found her in time… she wouldn't have made it otherwise." Even though he looked like he wasn't, Dan knew Fred was paying attention as he set to work addressing the girl's burns. "Looks like you got to her just in time. Any idea who she might be?"

Dan and Val shook their heads in unison. "Yeah, I thought as much. I'll let you know when she comes to." Fred was about to continue when he suddenly jolted, almost as if in alarm. "Oh! That reminds me!" He opened his mouth to speak… but hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. He silently looked to Dan for permission, his friend nodding and allowing him to continue.

"Our… uh… our other houseguest… he's awake."

…

Dan and Val were dead silent by the time they reached the medical bay a few doors down but for different reasons. Dan couldn't remember the last time he felt this nervous, as he had no idea what to expect from the other side of the door. Behind it was one of the most dangerous men he and his friends had to face: Lucas, a high-ranking soldier of the Bloody Fists who made it his mission to capture Nightwatcher for experimentation. Dan and Val had defeated him in the streets of New York after they both disabled his personal fighter jet- outfitted with a plasma cannon that still rested in Fred's lab- but had discovered a disturbing truth about him: Lucas was fighting against his will.

Long story short, the Bloody Fists had developed a form of neuro-override chip that took full control of a subject's brain, leaving them nothing more than a puppet that would follow any command the chip transmitted. Dan had first discovered this on captured dragons forced to fight for the Fists, but both he and Val had discovered a similar gadget attached to Lucas. There were questions revolving around that scenario: was it punishment for failing him? Was he, too, taken prisoner and forced to fight? Or was it an experiment; a test run for what the Fists had planned next? Regardless, they had managed to disable the device and Lucas had been left in a coma.

Until now. Fred's report that he was awake had left things rather blurry. Dan questioned if Lucas would remember everything he had done or if his previous personality would remain. Val, on the other hand, wasn't bothering with such speculations, as a hand was hovering near the pistol holstered to her hip.

"Val…" Dan whispered in concern. "Do you really think that's necessary?"

"Damn right it's necessary," Her voice dripped with slight anger. "You walk in that room and he lunges at you, I'm putting a bullet in his brain."

"But what if he doesn't?"

"I'm not taking any chances," she spat. "He was one of them, remember?"

It was hard to argue with that logic, but Dan couldn't let go of the urge to defend his enemy. He couldn't help it; compassion was yet another genetic trait he picked up from Hiccup. The chief wasn't like most Vikings, and not just in stature and skill. No, Hiccup never sought violence as an immediate solution. He never intended to kill or destroy every foe he came across. He saw the best in people and always gave them a second chance… and sometimes, it was a costly move.

If anything, Dan swore he was Hiccup's reincarnation rather than his descendant.

He took a deep breath. "Val, I'm not stupid. Yes, we need to consider that he may be dangerous, but it's not a guarantee. What if that chip messed up his mind and he's totally out of it? What if he doesn't remember anything? What if he regrets it? I'm telling you, he wasn't in the proper state of being. Just… leave the gun and I'll let you know, okay?"

The silence his genetic relative gave him was a step in the right direction, her sapphire orbs darting back and forth while considering his words. Eventually, she sighed and slipped the sidearm back into its holster, gesturing to the door without saying a word. Her face said enough; she'd be faster on the draw if Lucas tried anything. Dan knew Val could back it up, as her feats in the training simulations would have made Dan's other ancestor proud. With a nod of understanding, Dan pushed open the door and made his way inside, his jade eyes glancing at the beds and medical equipment scattered around the room.

All of them were empty save for one holding a man who appeared quite dazed, a hand resting against his forehead while a barely audible groan trailed from his mouth. Bandages were wrapped around his skull and a blanket laid at the bottom of his bare torso, his eyes adjusting to his current surroundings. Dan expected him to tense up when the man's vision rested on him, but all he received was more confusion. "Where… where am I?" the man whispered almost frightfully. "Who are you…?"

Dan could feel Val's gaze on him from the hallway, resisting the urge to look at her while approaching the bed. "Sir… my name is Dan." he began calmly, keeping his voice low to avoid startling the man. "Do you remember yours?" The man gave no reply, clasping a hand to his forehead while clenching his eyes shut. "I… I think… I think so?"

Dan went silent, giving the man the time he needed to gather himself and continue. Pressuring him would do no good. A quick glance at Val told Dan that she was starting to calm down as well, her hand nowhere near her weapon and her form standing in the doorway. She made no move to enter the medbay… not yet.

"My name is Lucas," the man spoke, more to himself than to Dan. "Lucas Barlow. I… I enlisted in the military's anti-dragon program; to keep them away from cities and other large populated areas. I wanted… I wanted to make sure things don't escalate like they did on the Resurgence."

Dan knew what he meant by that. Both humans and dragons felt mass confusion when the dragons chose to return to the surface. For the humans, that confusion became fear, and that fear led to violence and destruction in their attempts to force the dragons out of their homes. The dragons, in turn, were fearful of the new technologies humans had developed over the past centuries. That fear became a fight-or-flight response; a response that threatened to burn entire cities to the ground. In the years that followed, the chaos cooled down… and once humans learned that the dragons were here to stay, they developed contingency plans and defensive measures. Perimeter alarms, coastal turrets, masking scents that made humans undetectable… Needless to say, the dragons understood the boundaries of human territories and left well enough alone, integrating themselves into Earth's natural order once again.

"My first mission was nothing more than a recon sweep," Lucas continued. "My unit was sent to Chicago to install uplinks that would pick up approaching dragons from ten miles in any direction. The sensor I was setting up went wild for some reason, so I went to investigate. It was when I reached the edge of the city when it happened… when I got ambushed."

"Ambushed?" Dan echoed. "Do you remember the details?"

"N-not many…" Lucas breathed out. "It was… no… no, it wasn't a dragon. Not even the tiny ones. I remember… a single drone scanning me. I thought I should call it in. But my radio got jammed and…" His eyes suddenly lit up. "Somebody knocked me out cold."

"Do you remember waking up?" Dan asked, careful not to go too fast. Much to his displeasure, though, the hospitalized man shook his head. "N-no… no, I don't. The only thing I do remember is… waking up here. How long was I…" A sigh finished that sentence for him and he clutched his head again. "I… I think I need some rest."

Dan gently took Lucas' other hand in his own. "You do that. In the meantime… just know that you're in good hands." The older man blinked out more of the dizziness he must have been feeling. "Th… thank you, I guess? Urgh… my head…" Dan backed away, reassuring the houseguest with a comfortable smile. "I have a friend who can help you out with that. We'll be sure to check on you regularly." Lucas only nodded in appreciation before Dan slipped into the hallway, exhaling a sigh of relief after closing the door.

"That went… better than expected." He murmured to himself, turning to Val afterward and putting on a confident smile. "See? Told you everything would be fine!" The raven-haired girl just rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Okay, fine… I'll give you that one. But I'm still keeping an eye on him."

"Me too," Dan quickly added. "Just to be safe. Let's have Fred check on him in a few while we get back to business." Val was quick to pick up what he had in mind. "The girl? Dan, we have no idea when she's gonna wake up." There was no disagreeing with that fact; Lucas had been in a coma for only a few months and the girl would probably take just as long to awaken. But Dan didn't want to wait for that to happen, but not in an impatient way. He needed to pass the time while Fred looked over both of their guests… and he knew just how to do that.

"I know what we can do in the meantime. Get the guys ready, Val… it's time we got back to practicing teamwork."