The parting gift paid off.

Well, Dan hoped it did. Between Lucas, the still-unconscious girl, and the injured Night Light, he was begging for a chance to fight the Fists or save some dragons again. Fortunately, fate was smiling on him: just before Fred had left for the DPS, he had managed to scope out the location of a secret outpost on the Canadian coastline. The email's intel was accurate enough and Fred had apologized for forgetting to inform them sooner.

Getting the team ready was another matter. Val believed leaving Lucas alone was a bad idea and Ben suggested having the Night Light watch over him. Dan would have agreed to that, but there were too many unknowns. He didn't want to risk the dragon killing him… but a solution came quickly. From what he had learned of his ancestor's adventures, Dan recalled that the old Dragon Riders had used the stables on Dragon's Edge as a makeshift brig.

Lucas put up no resistance, the former soldier seemingly understanding of the situation. Dan had to remind him that this wasn't permanent, just until they returned. Lucas just replied that Dan needed to "do what he had to", which sparked a faint flicker of hope in his heart. How everybody else reacted was a mystery, for none of them showed any physical signs aside from distrust and concern. But he knew Lucas would stay put for now, shelving that problem away for later.

Dan briefed everyone on the way about what the email had enclosed. The Bloody Fists were being more cautious and discreet after the battle in New York now that they had gained government attention. This particular outpost was built for surveillance and recon, presumably to search for the Riders' base and bring about a swift end. The search would be lengthy given how concealed the manor was from the public, but this installation was too close for comfort. It needed to be taken down as soon as possible to decrease the risk of exposure… but cautiously.

"If we do it hard and fast," Dan had explained. "The Fists will know they're getting close to finding us. We gotta do this carefully and quietly. By the time they realize what's going on, we're already flying off into the horizon." Everyone understood the risks and each of them was far from our practice. Sure, they had won back in the city, but their enemy wasn't gone for good just yet. They needed to stay on their toes.

"They've gotta be up to something new now that they're back," Val guessed. "Not just against the dragons, but against us. They'll be out for blood, so we need to catch up fast." It was a statement to which everyone agreed. In the past, the Bloody Fists had used their mind-control chips to build their own dragon army, but now that was rendered moot thanks to Dan and Fred developing a countermeasure that short-circuited the signals and destroyed the chips. That had cost the Fists dearly… so what were they planning to do now?

With any luck, Dan could find that out soon instead of when it was far too late.

"Yo, chief!" John called out. "Twelve o'clock." The lead rider pulled himself out of his thoughts, identifying a few watchtowers nestled along a shoreline. The armed soldiers manning them scoured the skies while a two-story installation rested beyond the towers. Nothing but forest and woodland was located behind the outpost… which gave Dan an ideal strategy.

"Everyone, veer off," He ordered, his Night Fury banking for the trees instead of the outpost. The dragons silently touched down amongst the trees and their riders dismounted, readying their weapons as they snuck for the rear of the facility. Ben crouched behind a rock and clutched his hammer tight. "What else did Freddy say about this place?"

"Minimal defenses," Val whispered. "A couple of AA turrets, automatic sentry guns, drone patrols, armed personnel…"

"And that's supposed to be minimal?!" Julie hissed in disbelief only for the ravenette to shut her down. "He means that there's not as much!"

"Yeah," John muttered. "Real comforting, V," The siblings' Zippleback hissed in agreement before Dan quieted everyone down. He and Nightwatcher approached an entrance that wasn't as heavily guarded as the front door. That entrance led into a garage filled with inactive jeeps, storage crates, and an APC currently under maintenance. The good news was that the garage was empty… but a laptop resting atop a crate caught Val's attention.

"Hmm… worth a shot," Ordering Spike to keep watch while she checked it out, Val opened the laptop and tapped a few buttons, causing the black screen to come alive and showcase a file detailing a report. Her sapphire eyes scanned the contents before a disappointed huff left her mouth. "Of course, they wouldn't just leave them alone…"

"Got something?" Dan asked, but Val didn't even look in his direction while giving her response. "Yeah. The Fists bagged some wild dragons a week ago. Are they still trying to control them? Even after we-"

"No, they're not," Her leader's voice cut in, a finger pointing to more words on the screen. "Look, it says that the dragons were shipped somewhere." A black rectangle covered up the location in question, earning a frown from them both. "Great. Redacted."

"But look at this," Val whispered, drawing their attention past the rectangle. "'For testing'..." She suddenly leaned away in disgust. "Oh my god, testing?! They're using dragons as test subjects now?!" Two distant growls told the two their dragons had the same thoughts, but Dan eyed the monitor suspiciously. "Obviously, that's horrible… but what exactly are they testing? Does it say?"

Val's fingers flew over the keyboard for a little bit until she shook her head. "Damn. Nothing. High-level access. But whatever it is, it's gotta be some shady stuff."

"Which means we need to find out what it is before it's finished," Dan commented. "Everybody get that?"

"We're gonna stop a super-secret weapon the Fists wanna sic on us," John replied. "Yup. Got it." Julie nodded in agreement beside him. "I mean, we did already take out a mech designed to fight dragons. How different could this be?"

"If it turns out to be a big cannon," Ben guessed. "I know how we can take care of that. A couple of fireballs down the barrel and…" He snapped his fingers. "Done. Crisis averted."

"If only it were so…"

"Wha-" Ben's head jerked back with a hard thump and he was on the floor instantly. Something shimmered out of thin air above him, revealing an armor-clad woman with cold eyes and long locks who slammed a boot onto his throat and cut off his breath. The rider struggled for a moment until that same boot kicked him across the face and knocked him out cold. An arm shot out quicker than a whip, flinging two small discs that latched onto the startled John and Julie… and electricity coursed through the twins, paralyzing them where they stood until they too collapsed.

Growls and agitated snarls filled the room as Dan and Val whipped out their weapons, his flaming sword ignited while her ax was held in a ready position. The four dragons quickly surrounded the unknown assailant with bared teeth, awaiting a command or a first move. But instead of intimidation, all that left the attacker's mask was an amused chuckle. "It always is so fun when the target comes to me and not the other way around."

"We haven't forgotten that Mordred wants the two of us out of the picture, Byter," Dan sternly reminded the figure. "But you're too late. We know the Fists are planning something. Spoiler alert: it won't work."

The woman scowled in annoyance. "Too much confidence. A fatal mistake."

"Mistake?" Val shot back. "We beat you back in the city, trashed Mordred's mech, and you're down a partner!"

"True," the agent replied. "But stop these delusions while you can. We indeed build a weapon, but this is not one easily destroyed. And besides… you won't want to destroy it. Because you can't. Your conscience won't allow it." Dan had to pour every ounce of mental strength to avoid dropping his guard at her words. "What? You… okay, now you're talking crazy! Val, let's take her down!"

"'Bout time!" she barked, charging for the enemy agent head-on like a released spring. Dan circled from the side, his jade eyes trained on Byter as she braced for Val's initial assault. The well-trained assassin and hacker moved fast, almost too quick for Dan to comprehend…

…but what he did comprehend was Val standing in stunned silence, eyes wide as she held the smoking shaft of her weapon. "What?" A low humming noise brought the midnight-haired warrior out of her shock, and the source made humans and dragons alike go still. The other half of Val's ax lay at Byter's feet… and two blazing blades of pure crimson emanated from a pair of wrist bracelets, their wielder smirking in satisfaction.

"Of course… our secret project isn't the only advancement we've made," she chuckled, holding up one of the weapons proudly. "I can thank both my former partner's experimental weapon and our research on Night Fury biology for plasma-based technology."

Dan frowned. "Is that why your boss needed my friend's blood?"

She replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Not exactly. Now you two have a choice." She pointed a buzzing blade directly at the two. "You can admit you're outmatched and no more time will be wasted. Or you foolishly throw yourselves at me again… and be reduced to pieces."

"Outmatched? Yeah," Val countered with a glare. "But not outnumbered." Nightwatcher and Spike growled from beside her, all too eager to blast Byter into oblivion. The dragons' mouths glowed with light and gas while Dan raised his sword…

Something small and fast zipped into Scorcher's neck, cutting off his attack and making him collapse to the floor. Two more objects struck Cobra and Viper in the necks, the hissing gas snuffing out like a candle. The startled Night Fury and Deadly Nadder broke off their attacks, their heads darting around in a frenzy until they were suddenly struck square in the throats. Spike squawked in alarm before falling ungraciously to the side while Nightwatcher stumbled about… until he finally dropped, exposing the tranquilizer dart in his neck.

Dozens of shapes materialized out of thin air, revealing an entire platoon of Bloody Fist militia training their weapons directly at Dan and Val. Byter suffered the surprised looks on their faces before letting out a teasing chuckle. "You were saying, Harper?"

An empty garage… an unguarded entrance… no wonder it felt too good to be true. "Damn it," Dan hissed to himself. "We were too reckless."

"Agreed," Byter hummed. "The memory of your temporary victory has gotten to your heads. That made you easy to predict, 'Dragon Riders'. Your ancestors would be ashamed of you… because I know I am." She directed her gaze to one soldier. "Secure the dragons and bring the imitations to the brig. Our scientist would like a word with them…"

Val wore a scowl as she slowly raised her hand, never taking her eyes off Byter as two men proceeded to restrain her. Dan had half a mind to run over and help her… but those intentions went dark with the rest of his consciousness when the butt of a rifle was swung at his head.

…

It felt like hours until he finally came to, his arms and legs suspended by blood-red plasma coils. The room Dan found himself in was small, but enough to hold him and his captured teammates. Each of their restraints was connected to a small glowing generator with thick tensile-strength wires and a single door was the only other thing of notice in the limited, confined space. Dan's examination was a short one as a groan rang out.

"Oh, man…" Ben moaned groggily, shaking the dizziness from his system. "What happened back there?" The twins were stirring alongside him, with John immediately jolting alert with a sudden yelp. "Ah! Hey! These aren't normal chains!"

"Yeah…" muttered Julie. "Normal chains don't make your wrists feel warm. Is this a VIP treatment?" Val struggled against her restraints to no avail, frowning at her lack of progress. "They don't break out- urf- the experimental plasma tech for just anybody, Jules." That brought Ben out of his daze. "Wait, hold on… plasma? Like, the stuff Nightwatcher shoots?"

"And the same juice that was in Lucas' cannon?" John echoed. "How did they-"

The door whooshed open, cutting off his words. "I wouldn't be too surprised if I were you. This is all still in its prototype stage…" Another woman strode into the room, short brown hair and hazel eyes easily standing out as identifiable traits. But unlike other Bloody Fist personnel, she wore no combat armor even though Dan saw a pistol resting at her hip. "However, it should suffice to restrain you until you can be transported to the High Commander himself."

"Too busy to see us in person after everything we've done?" Ben snapped at her. "Never thought Mordred was the cowardly type." The woman merely shot a glare at him but showed no hints of retaliation as she turned toward Dan and Val. "You all arrived sooner than I expected."

Val scoffed. "The hell do you mean, 'expected'? You were looking for us, right? Isn't that the whole reason for this outpost?" The corner of the older woman's mouth lifted in a smirk and she gently grasped Val's chin in her hand, earning a discomforted look from the girl. "Quite the opposite, Miss Harper. Yes, the location of your headquarters is of great value to us… but your little team is the true problem. And what better way to eliminate the problem than to allow them to come to you?"

"Your plan wasn't exactly flawless," Dan reminded her. "We saw what you have in store for us next. You're using dragons as test subjects!" The smile remained. "True… but you do not know what for."

"Not yet."

"For once, we agree, Daniel," the woman calmly responded. "And when you do learn…" she broke off in a small chuckle. "Well… I am going to enjoy seeing my work come to fruition."

"Uh, hi, sorry…" Julie butted in. "But I don't suppose you're going to tell us what your day job is? Does the M-dude have you do science stuff? Weapons? Some other kind of evil bad guy stuff?"

The woman just frowned at her. "Just as feeble-minded as your predecessors… convinced you're on a righteous path while we bring about true change. The change so many have disregarded for-"

Light poured into the room from behind the woman and she groaned, turning to the open door. "I told you two that I was not to be dis-" She and the captive Riders paused at what lay beyond the doors. The two armored guards stationed there were lying on the floor and one's hand was propped up against a sensor. A third figure stood between them, dropping the guard's limp arm to the floor. They were dressed in a tight dark bodysuit and their face was hidden behind a mask that was a mixture of black and white colors. The woman's face lit up in shock… before she bared her teeth, reaching for her gun.

The figure moved fast, ramming a foot into her side and slamming her against the wall. Snatching a sword from behind their back, they advanced towards the stunned woman… and stabbed the weapon through the generator beside her, sparks flying from the device. A sharp slice left a large gash through the generator, causing the plasma conduits to blink out of existence. The Riders all collapsed to the ground- with John landing on his face while his sister helped him up- and made a break for the door… but Dan and Val stayed where they were. They couldn't take their perplexed eyes off the mysterious masked figure who had just released them.

The woman holding them captive was just as stunned. "You died."

The figure said nothing, eyes frowning from behind the mask… which they immediately lifted. A feminine face glared at the woman beneath her with dark green orbs while short blonde hair darker than Dan's locks rested atop her head. Memories flashed through the riders' heads… as they recalled a similar face upon a vessel engulfed by flames.

"Wouldn't be the first time, Helix."

"YOU!" The woman suddenly roared, jolting to her feet and whipping out her pistol again. A quick swipe of the girl's blade struck the gun out of her grip and another strong kick knocked her down again. Dan and Val didn't need a better invitation than this, both of them sprinting out into the hallway. The stranger followed them out just as the woman clasped a hand against her head… and her eyes burned with hate as the girl sliced through the door's controls, sealing the woman inside.

"We need to move now. This place will be on high alert any second," the girl said, ignoring the stunned looks on everyone around her before turning to Dan. "You'll need this." He barely caught the object- his Dragon Blade, he quickly realized- she unexpectedly tossed at him. "W-wait, you're… you're the girl from the boat!"

The hallway lit up with flashing red lights and a high-pitched blare echoed through the corridors. The girl frowned and quickly slapped her mask back on, taking off down the hallway. "Follow me!" The riders immediately chased after her, questions already flying from their mouths. "Wait!" Julie cried out. "Who are you?!"

"How does that woman know you?!" Ben shouted.

"No time! Just stay close!" She barked, rounding a corner with swords drawn as she charged directly for a pair of soldiers standing guard. The men jolted once they noticed her approaching, but the girl swiftly slashed them across the chests as she passed and vaulted over a wounded foe to kick the other in the helmet. Twirling her weapons into a reverse grip, she buried her blade through the neck of the one behind her. She stabbed the downed guard through the back while the other choked on his own blood.

John was awestruck. "Whoa…"

The swords were back in their sheaths in seconds and she was off again, the riders right behind her. Val couldn't help but throw in one last question. "What about our dragons?! We gotta go back for-"

"Hey! Stop right- gak!" An arrow sunk into the lens of the soldier's helmet while another made its way into his partner's chest. The girl slid past that soldier and struck out his legs with a bow before smacking him across the face with it and yanking the arrow from his torso, placing it back into the quiver.

"Taken care of!" she shouted. "Now move! This way!"

Everyone followed their rescuer through the halls, watching as she took out every soldier they came across with well-honed skill, flawless arrow shots, and precise slashes that caught them by surprise. Amid their frantic sprint, Val turned her shocked sapphire eyes to Dan. "This is her?!"

"We both saw it, yeah!"

"Then how'd she get here?! And who-"

"We can ask her when we're out!" Dan cut her off. "And speaking of…" He quickly keyed into his earpiece and tuned to a specific channel. "Fred, come in! Are you there?"

There was a moment of silence… er, not exactly silence since his rescuer had just split-kicked two guards to the ground and was now slashing through them both without breaking a sweat. Still, the pause didn't last long. "Dan? This better be important. Terry and I are helping some people patch up a Snafflefang caught in a bear trap. And Mirage and Luminous are undergoing-"

"Well, the next batch of intel you send better be more accurate!"

"...What?"

"It was a trap, Fred! The Fists weren't looking for us, they wanted us to-"

"Dan, slow down! What intel?"

That made Dan freeze. "Wh-what do you mean, what intel?! The one you sent us before you-"

"Hold on, I didn't send you guys anything! And is that an alarm I'm hearing?!"

"You… you didn't?" Dan sputtered. "But then who-"

"Where are you guys? I can-"

"We're fine, long story, I'll explain later!" Dan quickly interrupted him before cutting the call and turning to his friends. "Guys, something's up! Fred didn't send us that intel!"

"What?!" John yelled. "That doesn't make any-"

"Where are you?!" The girl yelled from up ahead, two fingers touching her ear as she flipped between two soldiers with stun batons, taking them both to the ground with wrists and ankles locked around their throats. "No, you don't have five minutes! You better be in the air by the time I'm outside or… fine! Just get it done!"

Julie blinked. "Do you think it's possible to have too many questions?"

"If there is," John replied. "I may die from an overdose."

"Keep moving, guys!" Val reminded them, leaping over a fallen soldier that was missing a hand. "Damn, she's good! I like her already!" Now that she had mentioned it, Dan took careful notice of his rescuer's speed and skill; moving without thinking, presumably well-practiced, and taking every advantage she could find. His observations led to him moving faster down the hall; the sooner everyone escaped, the sooner they learned who she was.

The Riders and their rescuer stormed out from the main entrance, daylight shining on their faces like suddenly switched-on spotlights. Dan paused from the brief blindness, yet his body was tense to keep moving once the sensation passed. Once his vision returned to normal, he was seconds away from breaking into another sprint… but everything flew up in alarm while he heard his friends gasp in surprise.

Vehicles roared into position, blocking off their escape while mounted turrets swiveled in their direction. Soldiers lined up with weapons trained while a squadron of drones and three helicopters loomed overhead, missile launchers and guns aligned on their targets. Dan clicked down on his device, prompting a blazing blade to erupt into existence… but the masked girl remained still, her eyes trained on the choppers above.

She silently nodded.

Dan turned to his team, ready to rally them until without warning, the middle helicopter hovered back a few meters and a salvo of missiles flew from their ports. But instead of streaking towards the Riders, the missiles blasted and exploded against the remaining two helicopters, sending them into a burning descent. The Bloody Fist personnel whirled around in shock, some of them diving to the ground as their air support spiraled towards them.

"INCOMING!" One trooper bailed from a jeep just before one chopper smashed into it, sending both vehicles up in flames. The other's tail made contact with a watchtower, the sniper within screaming as he was brought down with the structure. Although they were taken by surprise, the remaining troops were quick to gather their bearings and opened fire on the chopper, bullets connecting with the vehicle's chassis as it came around…

…its minigun spooling up.

"TAKE COVER!"

BRRRRRRT! A thunderous storm of gunfire rained down on the soldiers as they scrambled to safety, the hailstorm cutting down several in its path while the others returned fire. The masked girl moved fast, striking at the distracted soldiers while their focus was on the rogue aircraft. She wasn't the only one to take advantage of the chaos thanks to Dan and his friends springing into action. Val locked her arm around a soldier's throat and threw him to the ground, using his own rifle to unload a round on him before turning the weapon on nearby targets. Ben grabbed a discarded stun baton and struck several soldiers with it, crimson electricity coursing through them before they dropped.

Dan deflected a baton before striking down its wielder while his savior vaulted off a riot shield and shot an arrow between that soldier's eyes. "Now what?!"

"Just trust me!"

He had no idea what her plan was here, but it was working. The person behind the stick of that rogue chopper may be a mystery, but Dan knew a blessing when he saw one. Anything to tip the odds in his favor. But keeping that way was another matter: drones were veering off and swarming the chopper like mosquitoes, the aircraft banking in various directions while popping flares to disorient the little machines. At one point, it had to abandon the soldiers and accelerate away, keeping the cockpit out of the drones' line of fire.

The roar of an engine alerted Dan to a jeep leading his way, a soldier up top manning its mounted turret. His internal debate over whether to bring up his shield or make a run for it was suddenly made for him when the vehicle inexplicably collapsed onto its side, the soldier tumbling to a halt. Metal crunched and crumpled as if gravity had become twice as strong… but something shimmered into view atop the toppled vehicle.

A white dragon with small clusters of gray scales and faded scars roared dominantly from atop the jeep, a pair of silver eyes fiercely glaring at some of the drones. A few plasma blasts obliterated them to nothing, alerting the rest to the new arrival. The machines moved in with weapons primed, but none of them got the chance to shoot when several arrows struck them dead-on. The drones sparked and collapsed like flies, the arrows sticking out like sore thumbs.

The Riders' savior removed her mask, revealing a proud smile on her face. "Good girl, Silverstar! Over here!" The dragon immediately hopped off its perch and bounded over like a dog happy to see its owner before snapping into a defensive posture with a low growl. Val darted behind another truck for cover just in time to spot the interaction. "Dan, did you just see-"

"So there is a connection! Glad that's settled!" he answered, kicking out a soldier's legs before stabbing him through the chest. "But that leaves only like a million more…"

"Hey, new girl!" Ben shouted over the sound of distant gunfire. "You got a plan for getting us outta here or what?!" The stranger responded by pointing off into the distance just as her dragon let out a quick call… which was answered by a deafening roar and a shower of purple bolts that detonated against the ground, sending soldiers flying. A dark shape darted through the smoke with a glowing violet spine, sliding to a halt near Dan. Three more shapes followed, and the rogue helicopter hastily drew back from the fray, allowing Spike, Scorcher, Cobra, and Viper to swoop into action.

The Deadly Nadder touched down and shot a volley of spikes at an approaching jeep, popping a tire and puncturing the windshield to impale the driver. The vehicle spun out of control and smashed against a wall with a loud crash, taking some heat off of Val as she laid down suppressive fire. Unfortunately, her stolen rifle abruptly clicked, leaving her to ditch the weapon and make a break for her dragon. The Monstrous Nightmare crunched a drone between its jaws and landed atop several soldiers, pinning them down and allowing Ben to hop on. Lastly, the Zippleback exhaled a cloud of green gas, shrouding it from sight. John and Julie nodded to each other before slipping on their facemasks, darting into the smoke just as another squad of troopers gave chase.

BRAKOOM! The cloud detonated violently as they approached, all three dragons lifting off into the sky. Dan switched off his weapon and spun to his steed. "Alright, Nightwatcher, we gotta-"

He found his Night Fury in the midst of touching his forehead against the Night Light, crooning in affection while the other dragon did the same. The girl gently separated the two of them, stroking the top of Nightwatcher's head with a palm. "So good to finally meet you…"

"Um…" If Dan wasn't killed by the Bloody Fists, he'd certainly die from a lack of context. Thankfully, the girl didn't waste too much time and saddled up in a flash, touching two fingers to her ear. "We're up! Keep the AAs off us!" Her Night Light launched skyward and Dan threw himself on top of Nightwatcher, his dragon shooting off the ground. Both Furies shot past the helicopter as the vehicle released one more missile salvo, striking the outpost's turrets as they swiveled toward the escaping dragons. With the defenses out of action, the chopper spun around and accelerated after the group. Nightwatcher quickly reached the front of the pack, barely avoiding the white blur that sailed ahead.

"Okay…" John gasped as he and his sister lowered their facemasks. "Does anybody have the slightest idea what just happened?! Who is this girl?"

"And why do we have a Bloody Fist chopper backing us up?!" Ben gestured to the vehicle taking up the rear, his Nightmare giving it a wary look. Val only shook her head, conflict in her eyes. "Well, the good news is we don't have to wait much longer. Let's find someplace safe to touch down…" She turned her gaze to the Night Light leading them on. "Then we get some answers."

…

The action on the camera feed came to an abrupt halt, displaying the unidentified intruder eliminating two guards with ease. The older woman stared silently at the footage, her brow furrowing in thought before she turned to her witness. "You're certain this is the one?"

"I am certain, Byter," she hissed, slightly flinching from the ache in her side. "She came for my research. I attempted to transfer everything to our remote servers… but I couldn't get everything. Once she realized what was happening, she tried to destroy it all."

"And yet you declared the assailant dead, Helix."

"Nobody could have survived that. I was lucky to escape with my life… and perhaps she-"

"Luck has nothing to do with this," came the grim reminder. "It's not like you- not like any of us- to forget who they are… and who they came from. Who she comes from." The assassin was silent for a moment. "I need to report this to Mordred. Whoever this girl is… she's resourceful and well-trained. Curious…"

"There's more," Helix reported. "Fifty-Six Oh Two's testing facility… We have evidence that she was present. She's not just resourceful, Byter… She's a risk. She knows about the specimen. If she tells them, it could compromise-"

"It will compromise nothing," Byter interrupted. "Your work remains secure and the specimen has already proven useful. It may not have killed her dragon, but it has remained undetected."

Helix was confused. "Why the confidence, agent?"

"Every good assassin studies their targets, Helix," Byter explained. "That's why Mordred has tasked me against the children after Lucas' absence. And here's what I have learned of them: just like their weak-willed predecessors… these Riders will hesitate when it comes to harming dragons."

Helix frowned. "I am well aware of that. They sabotaged the neural chips we implanted in captured dragons."

"That is their weakness," Byter finished, allowing the rest of the footage to continue with a wicked smile. "They show mercy to dragons, but it is devoid of such thoughts and will show them none in return. Restraint was their ancestors' shackles… which means restraint will be their downfall."

…

The Newfoundland wilderness

The helicopter soared over the trees and began circling while the dragons gathered together on a cliffside, the vast Atlantic sea crashing against the continental landmass. Everyone was taking a moment to catch their breath, but unspoken questions were everywhere. Nightwatcher couldn't help but stare at the Night Light who the girl rode upon. Dan noticed that this dragon- Silverstar, he remembered- was still evidently hurt: scars from her encounter with the unknown dragon decorated several parts of her body while the rider did her best to soothe her companion.

"So… your sister has a rider," Dan whispered to his friend, who only gave a soft huff in response. Like his human, the Night Fury had so many questions. How long had Silverstar been up here? And how had she gotten a rider? She'd always been wary of humans, as Dan and Val saw in the medbay.

"Don't remind me," Dan muttered while Val hung her head low with a sigh. "But she was just scared of whatever did… that to her." He gestured to her scars. This did nothing to ease Nightwatcher's worries. Whoever this girl was, she had to have quite the story to end up bonding with his sister.

"I do… and it's a long one."

Dan and Val both froze at the words that left the stranger's lips, the girl turning to finally face the team. John and Julie were brought right out of their private discussion, immediately forgetting what it was about while Ben raised a puzzled brow. "We don't remember asking you anything… yet."

"Wait, what's happening?" John asked. "Is it introduction time already?" Julie shrugged, appearing just as lost as her brother.

Spike squawked in confusion while Dan and Val stared the girl down with a bewildered gaze. Was he mistaken or did that human just-

"You're not mistaken, Nadder. I spent a long time searching for you."

John lost his breath from atop Cobra. "Holy crap… you're a dragon whisperer!" His shock quickly spread to his sister, who placed both hands on her head as if to keep her mind from exploding. "Oh my god, you've got the weird, freaky dragon-talking gene or whatever! Just like them!" She wildly threw his arms towards the stunned Dan and Val, the latter struggling to put her own words together. "So… so that means-"

"You're…" Dan swallowed nervously. "Y-You're a Haddock?"

She nodded. "My name's Zoey. Zoey Holst. And I'm your cousin, Dan."

His blood turned cold. "Cousin? B-but…"

"We heard most of his family tree had their branches cut by the Fists," Ben intervened with crossed arms. "How'd you last this long without them finding you?" Emerald eyes turned to him for a brief second. "I spent a lot of time off the grid. False identities, isolation… too much to get into here, really."

"So why show yourself to save us?" Julie asked.

"It's a risk I needed to take," she explained. "I saw the news of your victory in New York, so I needed to find you as fast as I could before the Fists could… but I got sidetracked."

"Sidetracked? By what?" Dan wondered.

"That woman you saw in your cell?" Zoey began. "She goes by Helix. Lead biologist and geneticist. Most of her work was met with vast disapproval by the scientific community for-" She froze for an instant before recomposing herself, abolishing disgust from her features. "...questionable methods. Mordred found her when she was out of luck and took her in. Since then, she's been working on something new with him. Something I've been trying to stall for as long as I could."

Val perked up. "The boat…"

"Trying to destroy Helix's research was the last thing I remembered," Zoey admitted, placing a hand on her forehead with a sigh. "I guess I've got you to thank for making sure I didn't go down with it."

"You were looking into research?" Dan realized. "Does that mean you know what they're planning?"

"I… I can't explain here," she hastily replied, quickly touching two fingers to her ear once again. "Are we clear?" Silverstar stared at her rider with glistening silver orbs as Zoey awaited a response. "Then set it down." Right on cue, the helicopter reappeared over the treeline and flew close to the group, causing the dragons to back off and make room for the aircraft to land.

"Fred's never steered you wrong before," Zoey continued. "But the outpost data my colleague found in his systems was incomplete. As you all found out, it was more heavily defended than we thought… but at least you got some insight."

"The test subjects," Julie realized. "But if Fred didn't give us that intel, who did?"

"I'm going out on a limb here," John pointed at the chopper's cockpit while its blades slowed down. "Your 'colleague' did? Are they your inside man or-" He abruptly froze- as did his friends- once the chopper's door swung open and an older man with orange eyes stepped out.

Ben immediately threw up his fists. "Lucas?! What the hell's he doing here?!" The man didn't take another step and gently held up his hands, surveying each of the stunned Riders until Zoey stepped forth. "Stand down. He's with me."

"Y-you let him out?!" Val quietly hissed, grabbing the girl's arm before she could get too close. "You're crazy, he's killed Haddocks before!"

"His programming killed Haddocks before," she countered, wrenching her limb free. "Yeah, I was a little wary, too, until he told me what you did for him." The man nodded in confirmation not too far away. "It's true. It wasn't easy for her to accept my help… especially after what the Fists did to me."

"But you're clean now," Dan reminded him. "You don't need to worry about that anymore."

Val crossed her arms with a stern glare. "You could've gone back to a normal life. Why help? You wanna 'make things right' or something?" Zoey was the one to answer in his place with a shake of her head. "He thinks the Fists are going to be gunning after him now that he's out of their grip. Right now, we're the only protection he's got… and since we're helping him, he wants to help us in return."

"And after New York, you need something new to go off on now that they're preparing something else," Lucas added. "The outpost is small… but I figured you could find something there."

"Which you did," Zoey continued. "You found out Mordred is using dragons as test subjects… but you found out too late. That message is outdated."

Dan paused. "What? How do you know?"

"Mordred's weapon is finished," Zoey whispered, almost on the edge of seething. "It's out there right now… and it did that." She pointed at Silverstar… whose ear flaps sunk into her head as Nightwatcher sadly tried to lick his sister's partially healed injuries. "We need a plan to neutralize it, and we need one fast."

Val turned to Dan with a puzzled look. "Is his weapon… a dragon?"

"Come on, are you really that surprised?" Ben commented, but neither of them heeded him. Dan only gave Zoey a concerned look. "Uh… neutralize? We could just free it from Mordred's control! What kind of dragon-"

"I only caught a glimpse when I first saw it," Zoey brushed off. "The point is, we need to prepare as best we can." Her eyes suddenly lit up in realization. "Speaking of… there's something I've been meaning to do…" Dan was about to ask her what she meant, but she wasted no time in adjusting her earpiece and carefully fidgeting with it. Once she was finished, Zoey gave the device a quick double-tap.

"Specter to all wings, Specter to all wings, do you read?" Only static could be heard on the other end; static everyone else noticed as they all closely observed Zoey. Her forest-green eyes patiently stared towards the device. For a moment, there was no response… until a quick beep rang out.

"Uh… Sh! I know, just-! Um… ah, Bandit to Specter… I read you?"

"I'm homebound. I say again, homebound."

Another brief pause. Five seconds later, the silence was shattered by another voice- this one feminine in tone- that practically screamed from the other end. "Oh my god, ZOEY! You're alive!"

A slight frown crossed her features, but a smirk, a chuckle, and a delighted sigh wiped it right off. "Rule number one, Stream."

"Sorry, I'm sorry! I just… oh my god, you're okay! We were all so… so…"

"You were missed, Specter," spoke another female voice that was more serious than the last speaker. "Our search parties had been coming back empty-handed."

"Your concern is touching, everyone… especially yours, Lancer. Dweller, you copy?"

"I copy, Specter." a steadfast voice answered.

"Prepare the Roost for my arrival… and our guests."

"So you finally found 'em, huh?"

"Affirmative. I'm bringing them in now. Specter out." The moment she ended the call, Zoey was met with another round of surprised faces until Julie spoke out. "Wait wait wait… you have your own team of Dragon Riders?!" A smile was the initial reply. "Two years wisely spent. It's not easy tracking down gene trails… but the professor gave me all I needed."

Dan was taken aback. "Hold on, professor? You mean Ryan? M-my dad's old colleague?"

Zoey raised a brow. "You know him?"

"He did mention an operative when we last talked," Val remembered. "That's you, isn't it?" Zoey nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. He told me to gather an auxiliary team to help you all out. They've been keeping tabs on the Bloody Fists just like you. But more on them when you meet them; I've got a base not too far from here."

"Coool…" an awestruck John whispered. "What's it like?"

"Just start heading off into the woods," Zoey answered. "I'll catch up." She turned to Lucas without waiting for a reply. "That flying wasn't half-bad." The man only moved a hand through his hair. "Well… for the first time out of a simulator. Anything you need?"

"No, I'll take care of the evidence. You go with them."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure," Dan eagerly answered, earning the man's attention. "It may be a while before my friends get used to you, Lucas… but you went out of your way to help us out when you could have just walked. That makes you okay in my book." The older man shook his head with a chuckle. "Quick to trust… sound familiar to you?"

"Yeah…" Zoey muttered before ushering him along. "And for once, it's not misplaced." She watched the Riders disappear into the forest as their dragons trudged after them, with Nightwatcher taking one last look at Silverstar. The Night Light crooned at him, reminding her brother that she would soon follow. With this enough to comfort him, he vanished into the wilderness…

…and Zoey turned to the helicopter. "Do it."

PSHOOM! A purple plasma blast blew the vehicle to blazing bits, sending pieces of burning metal scattering all over. Zoey's eyes never strayed from the flaming wreck as she crossed her arms with a heavy sigh. Sensing her rider's discontent, Silverstar let out a gentle purr. Zoey's face scrunched up before she glanced in her dragon's direction.

"How else was I supposed to tell them?"

The Night Light hesitated for a brief moment, glancing at her scars before trilling again. Zoey only scoffed in response. "Yeah… like that'd make it better. But at least they know. Period."

The dragon's eyes narrowed and she softly growled.

"Because if they knew exactly…" Zoey stopped herself before slowly exhaling. "Silv, this could be too much for them. Everything they've learned, everything they know… it's not going to help them. At all. And… I just wish I could've found another way to deal with that… thing."

Another low croon. This time, one of Zoey's hands clenched into a fist.

"It's not a dragon. You know this. It's not like Nightwatcher… and it's not like you, girl. It's a weapon, nothing more and nothing less." Silverstar stepped forward, letting out a gentle series of vocalizations. Zoey's only answer was another round of silence, listening to the flames crackle and feeling the heat against her skin.

"But Hiccup never dealt with anything like this, has he? Because it was impossible back then. It was out of his league… which means it's out of Dan's league, too. He's too much like him."

Silverstar scowled and sharply huffed at Zoey… causing her to freeze on the spot before averting her gaze from the dragon. "This isn't about me… and I told you… to never. Bring. That. Up. Again."

The Night Light warbled again and tilted her head, a knowing stare in her eyes. Zoey turned away completely, the flames' light casting a warm glow on her face. "I did say that… but I'm tearing out some pages. They-"

Another rumbling warble, but this time she didn't get to finish as Zoey suddenly rounded on her. "NO! They can't-!" She stopped herself once again and lowered her head with a sound that was a mixture of a sob and a dejected sigh. "Silv, they… they just can't, okay? O-one thing at a time… Mordred's weapon is enough for now." Silverstar cautiously approached her rider and gently crooned like a caring mother, nuzzling Zoey until she wrapped her arms around her dragon's neck. After a few minutes of the warm embrace… she softly trilled one final time.

Zoey just sniffled… and a tear slid down her face.

"I know…" she croaked. "But I don't know what to do when it happens…"

Both girl and dragon made no move to separate as the fire ate away at the helicopter's remains, smoke rising into the sky while the wind carried it onward…

…

He was here.

It sniffed the ground where he once stood. He was not alone, either.

The others. The others were with him. They left fire in their wake, yet the building remained standing. They did not come to destroy. They came to seek.

Seeking it, no doubt. They know it exists, but they do not know what it is.

It does not know what it-

Hunt.

He is gone now. Gone again. But it has the scent. It will follow. The scent may be lost soon, but it will always return.

Where is… why is…

Hunt.

The female. It lives.

Should it have finished her while-

Hunt.

She is gone as well. It would find her. It would find him. It would find them. It would fly out over the sea and-

Cold. Bubbles. Beeping. Breathing. Sounds.

"You will be my greatest asset…"

"...a ruthless, unstoppable force…"

Hunt.

He is not here. Up. Fly. Search. Search and…

…kill.