Helloo! See? A fairly quick update for once XD Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Shout OUTS!:

CHSHiccstrid

Compared to the rest of the chapter, they're scene is fairly short but we will be seeing more of them and their missions in other chapters! Well, hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

ALPHA02FURY97

So excited for the Winter Soldier arc, though its going to be a chapter or two before we get there as there's some little things and just a break from the MCU proper that needs to happen beforehand. We shall have to wait and see ;)

TheDemon1911

Thanks :} Not in this chapter but maybe during a different mission we'll see Jor in his true form, we'll see how it goes. It means a lot, thank you 3 So far I haven't had any comment requests since last chapter, the first since like last June or so, and I'm hoping it continues. Still get the PMs and those are annoying but I can handle and delete them easy enough so they're not an eyesore to people wanting to read story comments. Hopefully your friend and other writers stop getting them now too.

Journal 2, Entry 48: "Iron Man 3 Part 7"

Tony nervously walked beside Hiccup through the dockyard towards the lit-up ship, only to pause at a break in the crates to stare in near horror. "That's-that's Rhodey's suit." He breathed before his shock fell into a scowl.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. "There's someone inside…"

Tony's shoulders fell even though he couldn't see what his godfather saw. "The president."

Hiccup looked at the deck far below the man and glared. "They're going to blow the ship up."

"A Viking funeral…A public execution. That's, uh, not a coincidence, is it?" Tony turned, hands fisted.

Hiccup's gaze hardened before peering around at the shadows. "No." He tapped Tony's arm, staring into the inky darkness of a pathway between two stacks of crates.

Tony stared into the shadows, mouth opened to ask what he'd seen, when a form emerged. He couldn't help the lip curl at the sight of the brunette Super Soldier. Movement from every other shadow revealed the other Super Soldiers; many more emerging with glowing veins as they stood perched on top of several containers. "Well, they certainly rolled out the welcome mat."

Different circumstances would have made the brunette soldier's smile pleasant as he addressed the pair happily, "Stark, Hakon."

Hiccup glared at him but otherwise ignored them, pressing through the growing crowd to the ship. Tony edged closer to his godfather, staring warily at the procession behind him. "They're a lot calmer now than they were with me…I think that's more frightening than when they're trying to kill you." He snuck a glance at the Scandinavian man and his wicked gleam at the comment, prompting Tony to turn back around.

Hiccup shot him a tiny smirk, unseen by all but his godson. "That's because they think they have the upper hand."

*O*

The ship bustled with activity. Hundreds of lights shimmering across the ship, illuminating the decking for the workers and the man dangling above it all. People fiddled with cameras, adjusting their angle and ran checks—but despite all this, a sliver of silver, darting about the ship went unseen by all.

It slunk around crates and barrels, hissing at their strange smell—none of them containing even a hint of the one it sought. Snorting, the little dragon reared its head back and looked around before darting across the ship again, slinking up to the command deck. Slipping through the door as someone walked out, it crawled along a shelf and eyed the room. It hissed softly at the sight of the man who took its person.

Keeping a wary eye on him, it slunk around and out the other door. It followed the pull to its person down a set of stairs and through a hallway until it came to a room with only one occupant. It chirped and darted to its person, only to perch on the metal table and warble as she cried out in pain again—a venomous red glow shooting through her veins. The little dragon hissed at the sight. This was not right! And nudged her cheek.

Pepper blinked to see through involuntary tears, breathing heavily as another wave of pain tore through her. For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating, seeing the last and most thoughtful gift Tony had gifted her. The doubt vanished when the dragon touched her cheek; its sewn eyes appearing impossibly grieved.

It pulled away and snorted at her predicament. Crawling along the metal surface until it reached the bar restraining her chest, it flicked its tail; the same tail that a moment before had been soft enough to pinch, now sliced through steel. With a pleased chirp, it slashed through each restraint.

Pepper grunted, another wave of pain pulsed through her veins, pulsing momentarily before pulling herself free of the destroyed restraints. "A little more lethal than a letter opener." She chuckled softly. It crawled up to her bare shoulder and curled around her neck with a coo, finally settling down after a long day's search.

"If Hakon's people give you guys as gifts to kids…no wonder their adults are so terrifying." Pepper shook her head as she carefully stood, wincing with another wave, but it began lessening in intensity—finally. Carefully looking around the doorway, she slipped out of the room and away from the main bustle of activity.

*O*

Hiccup led the procession up to the oil tanker's deck, their escort semi-circling the pair as Killian strutted out with a smug grin. Tony abandoned his godfather's side, jabbing his finger in Killian's direction. "Alright, we're here. Where's Pepper?"

Killian raised a hand as if to calm him. "She's here and doing just fine." His easy going smile fell slightly, nodding towards them.

Two Super Soldiers, the woman and black man, stepped forward—each holding silver manacles. Tony glared at them while Hiccup stiffened before relaxing his shoulders, the cuffs not being of Asgardian make. Begrudgingly, they allowed their wrists to be cuffed, Tony tugging on his as he faced Killian again. "Alright, you have us. Now let Pepper go."

Killian flashed a sickening smile. "You know…I don't think I will. She's the only insurance I have that you will behave, which is the only insurance I have that he behaves." He grinned at the inventors before turning around and casually walking back to the bridge castle.

Hiccup sent him a tired scowl before rolling his eyes—something that caused the Super Soldiers to glance at one another uneasily. Killian, with his back to the ancient Viking, shouted to the men running across the deck. "Alright people, let's get this wrapped up! Less than an hour 'till show time!"

*O*

Toothless snorted as he alighted atop a tall crate, well away from the ship, but with perfect visibility. Zephyr gently patted his head while Pouncer wiggled underneath her other arm. "I know—but it won't be for long."

Nuffink grunted from behind her as he got the suit set upright, Dart shaking herself as if to rid her of the extra weight. He glanced at his sister before kneeling next to Toothless, scanning the group far below. "How's it going?"

Zephyr smirked. "Just like dad said."

He nodded and activated the com in his helmet. "Furies in place. Positions?"

*Nadders are ready.*

*Razorwhips almost, just another minute.*

*Changewings in position.*

*Smokebreaths itching to go.*

"Good, how's the Colonel?"

*Can't wait to get my damn suit back. Bloody terrorists…Why do I always get dragged into Tony's problems?* Rhodey groused, but they could hear the fight in his tone—there was a score to settle here.

Zephyr chuckled. "He sounds like uncle Snotlout."

Nuffink grunted a laugh before turning his attention back to the group. "Stay undetected, the signal'll come any second…"

*O*

Pepper treaded softly through the hallway, holding a pipe at the ready. Her plush companion darted ahead and around the corner before chirping all clear and flying a tight circle while it waited for her. She crept around the corner, continuing to hurry silently down the corridor and glared at yet another T at the end of the hall…

A shadow darted across the corridor's end. Biting back a gasp, she slid inside an adjacent room, the little dragon flapping quickly to follow her. Heavy footsteps thunked against the metal floor and she pressed herself against the wall behind the door, not daring to breathe.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" She blinked as a table lamp flicked on, a man sitting up on his bunk.

She gasped and slammed into the wall, veins glowing slightly as she tightened her grasp on the pipe.

His eyes narrowed and reached out to grab her wrist. "You're supposed to be-" The door burst open and an aquamarine blur darted in. "What the—Gah-!"

The man froze, eyes wide in terror, as the thing turned to face Pepper—chittering and flicking its tail. She shrieked as a Jurassic Park Raptor stuck its snout within touching distance, nostrils flaring, and swung the pipe. Landing a solid smack on its snout, she ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Before she made it five steps, an arm snaked out and caught her across the chest. She yelled in frustration and started pounding her glowing fists against his chest.

The man hissed but said, "Woah, calm down Ms. Potts, I'm with the Chief and Stark."

She stopped and looked up, the man smiling at her before letting her go and opening the door. She tensed and the plush dragon settled on her shoulder with a berating chirp as the Raptor left the room, front claws batting its snout before catching sight of her. Its eyes narrowed and released a few annoyed clicks and grumbles while the man laughed and stroked its neck, saying something in that infinitely familiar but unknowable language.

She winced as it shook its head, scraping its abused snout again. "Sorry…"

The man smirked at her while sending his dragon an amused smile; the Raptor dragon refusing to look at him with an irritated eye. "You actually managed to land a hit against her—that's pretty impressive. But let's get you out of here before they start bringing this place down."

She frowned, easily falling in line behind him as they made their way out of the ship. Occasionally they paused as he made a gesture and the wingless dragon ran around the corner in a blur, and a second later a half-choked cry signaled their clear passage. She always stared in fascinated horror at the statuesque bodies as they hurried past. They finally reached the outside door and threw it open, only for her to gasp in shock and dismay.

The Archipelagon ignored the sight and grabbed an Ygg-Hop, setting the coordinates, when the dragon suddenly hissed—its tail banged harshly against the wall. He spun on his heel, barely blocking a swift punch to the head, but hissed as his skin burnt with the brief contact.

Pepper staggered out the door onto the narrow gangway and watched their struggle, the Extremis man throwing rapid punches while the Archipelagon dodged most of them while trying to avoid contact, his dragon hissing dangerously and furiously. Caught between Pepper and her person, she was just as likely to hit him as she was the other man. In the struggle, the Ygg-Hop fell from his hands but he kicked it towards Pepper. "Get out of here!"

Pepper bent over to snatch it up but jumped back, nearly falling over the railing as a torrent of fire came spewing from the man, melting the grating that the Ygg-Hop then fell through. She glared at the man, his back to her now as he fought with the Archipelagon while keeping the dragon on the other side of the man, feeling her blood course hotly through her veins. She pulled back and struck hard, harder than she thought capable of as her fist glowed brightly—an explosion rocked the ship, lighting everything in a blue-purple light.

The Extremis man grunted and stumbled, the Archipelagon twisting and allowing his dragon to strike with her tail, muscles arresting as he toppled over and hit the floor without a sound. The Archipelagon nodded his thanks before his shoulders fell, looking at the molten hole the Ygg-Hop disappeared into. "Just great. Looks like we're doing this the hard way."

They took off again, running along the gangways and mazes to find their way off the ship. Pepper huffed as she ran behind him. "The hard way? Can't we just pop out of here like Hyse does?"

The man grunted a laugh, pausing to deck an unsuspecting worker standing in their way. "Not a Descendent, unfortunately."

*O*

Tony shuffled along, constantly shooting the Super Soldiers wary glances that they returned with vitriol before scanning the mammoth ship for the sign…any sign. Hiccup was the picture of calm beside him—only occasionally staring off into the empty night sky with a small, reassured quirk of the lips.

Killian chuckled ahead of them. "You know, I really cannot express how excited I am. To work with the great Hyse! There are no words." He grinned at the Archipelagon. "It will be an honor."

Hiccup glared at him before saying flatly, "I'm definitely spiking his coffee with arsenic."

Tony bit his lip to not laugh at the scowl Killian sent his godfather. "Well, luckily for me, you'll be working in the labs—not the mess hall."

Tony hummed, shoulders drooping. "Shame—he's a killer cook."

One of the Extremis soldiers escorting them huffed. "Emphasis on the killer."

Killian turned his head, about to say something, when a flash lit up the side of the bridge castle. "What was th-"

A whistling shriek pierced the air seconds before a blast erupted in the midst of the escort. Killian whirled around after catching his footing from the shockwave, eyes narrowed dangerously as green rippled over Hiccup, breaking his and Tony's bonds. Killian snarled, veins glowing brightly.

Hiccup returned it with a feral growl, shifting his stance as his trench coat shifted unnaturally—solidifying into armor, clawed gloves and a black helmet covering his exposed skin. Tony flicked an arm then dove into the shadows, evading the female Soldier who pursued with others on his heels.

Killian yelled, vomiting a stream of flames that Hiccup blocked with a shield before punching him in the throat—cutting off the flames with a choked cough as he flew back into a stack of crates.

Hiccup whirled around to eye the men circling him, three Extremis enhanced and three Super Soldiers. His stomach fell slightly at the thought of even two of them chasing after Tony, but he could hold his own until help arrived. He pulled Inferno from its old position on his leg while his right hand formed an ice dagger.

Twisting away from a silvery blast, he threw the dagger at the foot of an Extremis enhanced. She hissed at the pain of her polar opposite encasing her leg—then howling in frustration as it trapped her against the deck. Oblivious to her plight, her comrades attacked the Archipelagon High Chief.

Another Extremis enhanced swung a glowing fist, only to receive an ice dagger to the shoulder as Hiccup ducked beneath. He shielded another silvery blast as the bald Soldier formed his own crude dagger. Hiccup caught it within his own ice and wrenched it away, but has his wrist caught by the brunette Soldier. The temperature dropped as the bald one smirked, grabbing his other hand, oblivious to Hiccup grinning beneath his mask.

Shifting forms and plunging the air into below freezing temperatures in seconds, to the point even the bald one saw his breath. The Soldiers glanced at each other warily. The brunette frowning at the freezing arm in his hand, a cold he hasn't felt since taking the serum, and slipped a syringe from a pocket.

Hiccup thumbed Inferno and flicked the jettisoning blade at the bald one's chest, eliciting a yelp of shock and slight fear, releasing his hand as the GIV blade sliced through the Kevlar and burned the Jötunn skin. Twisting with the movement, he swung the blade and shattered the vial, grazing the brunette's thigh before he jumped away from the flaming blade. Hiccup twirled the blade back to a ready position with another ice dagger, glaring at the three Soldiers and Extremis enhanced.

They tensed and prepared for another coordinated attack when a haunting shriek pierced the air.

*O*

Death dropped its staring flag and the slaughter commenced—the lights of explosions bloomed while war cries and screams filled the once quiet night. Tony puffed as he ran out of the mini-maze of crates, but grinned at the sound of his armor.

The suit landed and opened up, only a few feet away now, when a wave of unbearable heat wafted against his neck before a whine and a ball of purple whistled past his ear. Skidding into his suit, he watched as an Extremis enhanced flew back with the impact, a large hole torn into his chest, but he stood up as if it had been a normal punch.

The decking underfoot trembled as black and white spotted dragon landed with a hiss—the Super Soldiers giving a slight pause with this new participant. A similarly armored Archipelagon slid off, twirling a baton that erupted into a sword of flames, a dagger of ice already clenched in his other hand.

Tony grinned at him as the mask fell shut, firing a repulsor at the female Soldier, catching her in the shoulder. "Nice of you to join the party."

"Sorry." Nuffink said lightly. "Had to drop off someone."

Tony fired repulsor after repulsor, distracting the Extremis soldiers enough for Nuffink to drive the ice daggers into stomachs or backs, Dart ensuring the Super Soldiers kept occupied. Tony struggled with an Extremis woman, yelping as another jumped on his back, until he blasted her in the knee with a foot repulsor—distracting her long enough to punch through her chest and heart. Her eyes widened then fell still, her glowing veins falling dark.

The man on his back growled and pumped heat through his arm to the suit, Tony hissing as it started warming uncomfortably. He reached back and snagged his shirt, but couldn't pull him off. Hands flying to his side, he shot up and back until they hit a crate, stunning him. The man groaned but didn't have a chance to attack as Tony rapid fired repulsor blasts at his chest until he collapsed, body dark.

Bullets pinged off his armor, having just enough time to glare at the shooter before a silver armored person took out the grunt—a similar silver blur darting under the walkway so its Rider could jump on before flying off to another fight.

A shriek of pain brought his attention back to the closest skirmish. The female Soldier crumpled to the deck, holding her hip with Nuffink a step away, flaming sword still in a stabbing poise. Despite her pain, her eyes burned with fury and a promise of retribution. Raising a gauntlet, Tony shot at her before she could act on it. She rolled away and stumbled into the flickering shadows, leaving a bloody trail.

Dart hissed and shot at a moving shadow, only for it to duck and swing at Nuffink. Nuffink redirected the attack and flipped his grip on his sword, swinging upwards. The Soldier grunted and knocked his hand away, sending the flaming sword skittering away.

Switching targets, Tony shifted to the other Super Soldier as he grappled with Nuffink. "JARVIS, ready missile."

"Ready Sir."

"Nuffink, jump back!"

Not knowing why but obeying, he kneed the soldier and dove as the missile shrieked past. The Soldier eyed it in shock, having only half a second to raise his knife and transform it into a small shield—preventing the deadly object from impaling him, but did nothing to avoid being thrown back into the shipping crates and leaving a large dent.

Dart lowered her wing and uncurled from around her Rider with a hiss as the Soldier struggled to his feet, glaring at Tony. He could not allow this blight on their record to continue to exist—he needed to be brought in, as according to orders. Nuffink crouched again while Tony raised a hand again, ready to fire another round of repulsors.

*O*

Killian scowled as he picked himself up from the twisted metal, rubbing his glowing throat. Hyse, surrounded by Super Soldiers and his own creations, appeared to fight with an ease that unnerved a primal part of his brain. The shadow of death picking off his soldiers only enhanced the image of the reaper come to life.

He growled, eyes narrowed at the fight. Even if he joined, it'd be a pointless battle and a death sentence. Backing away into the shadows, he searched for a weak point. Stark was easy enough to find—though now nearly as inaccessible as Hyse with his armor and the Archipelagon-dragon duo fighting by his side.

For a moment the bridge castle lit up like midday as a dragon with an impressive crown flew by, a white-hot stream boring straight through an enhanced's chest, the man falling off the gangway lifelessly. But there, ducking as she ran, was the leverage he needed.

Despite the shrieks and cries and death raining from the sky, it was surprisingly easy to scale the bridge castle. With a quick look around, he jumped from the ladder to a catwalk, a lone Archipelagon blocking his way. He grinned, fist burning brightly.

The Archipelagon scowled tiredly, whistling as he raised a dagger coated in ice. Killian frowned minutely at the odd weapon, not the icy weapons he'd become accustomed to, but a true metal knife covered in a sheen of ice. An ever present wisp of vapor swirling around the blade.

Pepper backed away from the pair, fear in her eyes upon spotting him. He smirked, lashing out at the Archipelagon, landing a firm hit on the armor even as the knife slashed his chest. He hissed at the frozen bite while the man caught his footing but looked none the worse for the super-heated attack, his aquamarine armor barely singed.

She ran while they traded blows, eliciting a growl from Killian. Blocking another swipe of the knife before twisting the man's hand, the blade slipped from the Archipelagon's grip, falling to the burning deck below.

Something chirped and a streak of silver darted after the dagger, ignoring both men.

Whirling around with the foreigner in his grasp, he shielded an attack from behind. The man yelped as they stumbled back from the strike, but his armor protected them both from the enraged Raptor-dragon—chittering as its tail whipped around, eyeing him for another shot.

He glanced back at Pepper, fleeing along the catwalk with the silver thing flittering around her head, and shoved the man at the dragon with enough force to send them toppling back. The dragon shrieked as her human fell over the railing, barely catching the last rung. He growled at the time they bought Pepper—but it wouldn't help her in the end.

*O*

Rhodey winced as another flower of death lit the sky, giving excellent lighting for just a moment as he fiddled with the armor dangling a hundred feet in the air. Where's that blasted switch?! The dragon below him gave a squawk and dipped suddenly, leaving him clinging to the suit for dear life. "Hey!"

"Sorry!" Came a shout as the Nadder flapped ungracefully through the air, hissing at a burst of rapidly flickering light from a nearby catwalk and diving before swooping up the other side—the Rider jumping off its back and tackling the shooter.

Rhodey grunted and shifted his grip on his suit. "Just a moment, Mr. President."

He glanced at the cabling holding the suit aloft and glared at an Extremis enhanced standing at the far end of one, scowling at him in return. He ripped a piece of rebar from the damaged walkway, bending it to fit over the wire. Rhodey drew in a sharp breath, shuffling his grip to draw a pistol stolen from the mansion and fired at the man. He stumbled back with a grunt and wheeze, the bullets striking his chest dead on, before growling and glowing brighter.

He growled at the unfairness of it all before glancing at the wiring. Well, he'd had dumber ideas before. "Brace yourself." He warned the president before firing at the cabling.

They swung on the remaining cable until they peaked over the small deck. Rhodey released the suit and rolled before quickly turning and shooting the remaining cable, the suit falling to with a resounding thud! but the president caught his footing without spilling over. Rhodey nodded approvingly at the president ensconced in the Iron Patriot as he changed clips. "You look damn good, Mr. President, but I'm gonna need that suit back."

The president grinned at the comment, then looked down at his armored body. "I would, but…I've no idea how."

Rhodey bit back a grin and set to helping the president out and suiting up himself, handing the stolen pistol over to the Commander-in-Chief. The mask slipped down with a solid thunk and he hummed, happy to be back. Shifting, he wrapped an arm around the president's middle. "I'm going to take you to some associates, they'll keep you safe."

The president looked out across the ship, dragon silhouettes briefly illuminated by explosions or their own fire. "They wouldn't happen to be these…Archipelagons?"

Rhodey smirked behind the mask and took off, slowly though, so he didn't jar the man too much. "They would indeed."

The president gripped the armor as they soared over the deck. "Remind me to give them medals for this."

Rhodey chuckled as he dropped him off at the far dock, a few dragons and Riders waiting for them; twitchy with agitation, wishing to join the fight. Saluting the president, he turned and joined himself. Time for some payback.

*O*

With their eyes never leaving the shadowy form of Hyse, the Soldiers and enhanced tried to track the haunting whistle—failing to do so until the brunette yelped, catching a plasma blast to the chest. Metal screeched painfully as he hit the railing and ripped it from the deck.

Hiccup struck, taking advantage of their distraction, slashing at yet another enhanced. They shrieked as the ice crept up their arm, clutching the freezing burn and stumbling backwards, heedless of the edge—tumbling over with another yell. Twirling Inferno, he swept it at the abdomen of the Scandinavian, who evaded, only for Hiccup to flick his wrist upwards, tearing a large gash into his bicep. The Soldier cried out, staggering and holding the arm, while the bald man barely glanced at his brother in arms before glaring coldly at Hiccup.

A seething look that shortly fell into cautious terror as another explosion lit up the veritable demon from Hel standing beside the Chief. The bald Soldier clenched his hands, forming crude ice daggers—once his best weapon now rendered near ineffective.

The dragon whipped his head around and fired, blue-purple clashing with silver and creating a violent swirl that nearly blasted all of them off their feet. Hiccup leveled Inferno as the brunette threw his hand out, a silver blast hitting the metal decking at Toothless' feet. The dragon jumped with a hiss, shooting the man again; however, this time he was ready and, twisting as he dodged, drew his gun.

Toothless' pupil narrowed to splinters and Hiccup's heart skipped with his other half's alarm. Blasting the bald man back, he cast a shield that flickered green a half-dozen times—bullets clattering to the deck. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the man, their chill visible even through the mask, until a dragon shrieked nearby in horrific pain. And not just any dragon—Dart…Nuffink!

Both Hiccup and Toothless growled ferally, Toothless blasting the Scandinavian, who attempted to creep around behind them while Hiccup kicked the brunette, making a lunge for him before pinning the Soldier to the crate with a dagger through his shoulder. The bald Soldier attacked with his icy daggers. Blades of ice and fire clashed, the air growing colder with each pass until the ice beneath their feet spread down the side of the ship.

Hiccup caught his opponent's blade within his own, ripping it away and throwing both ice daggers overboard, leaving him vulnerable to Toothless who swatted him with a vicious strike of his tail; sending him overboard to the water below. He sputtered to the surface with a scowl, starting to swim back to the ship, only to be frozen in his path. With wide eyes, he stared at the frost coating the ship then the ice forming thickly around himself, he couldn't help the growl that lodged in his throat. Very clever.

Hiccup mounted Toothless to hop over the crates to Tony and Nuffink's battle—both seeing red

*O*

The Super Soldier rushed the trio, Tony firing a repulsor before Dart, but he didn't have the reflexes or the speed of his godfather. The Soldier twisted, the shot glancing off the shield instead of the man. Nuffink did; his burning sword lashed out, slicing through the Soldier's Kevlar, nicking the skin. He hissed at the pain but didn't otherwise show it, shield shifting to a long dagger as they traded blows—dodge, stab, block; bursts of silver and saffron Æsir creating a deadly dance.

Tony fired at a lunging shadow, missing but illuminating the female Soldier rolling along the deck and drawing a pistol. Instinctually, he lifted an arm to cover the face, but the bullets bounced off harmlessly, JARVIS already arming a mini-missile. She gasped as it flew towards her and snatched an Extremis enhanced for a shield, the man screaming obscenities at her as the explosion took chunks out of his shoulder and side.

More enhanced joined the fight. Tony spun around, JARVIS locking onto their intense heat signatures, blasting them in the chests. Dart snorted and growled, leaping over attacks and onto unsuspecting shoulders before bared teeth chomped down. Her latest victim rightfully screamed in pain as she released him, throwing him away to somewhere in the darkness before scraping her tongue against her gums—burnt flesh was vile and, of course, all enhanced tasted chard.

Saffron flared, the Solder catching air, but only took a stumbling step before bringing his sword down on Nuffink's. The man's eyes widened and pulled something from his belt, silver engulfing the object and turning it into a thick bar that mostly deflected the attack. But Nuffink was quick to recover and tilted his sword, driving it through the man's wrist.

Tony yelped from behind as an enhanced got lucky with a punch, prompting his god-brother to spare him a side eye. Tony punched the enhanced, now spewing fire before kneeing them. But Nuffink's attention was on the smoke trail streaking across the deck for the red armor. With his heart in his throat, a saffron shield formed over the suit a second before a rocket impacted.

The explosion sent all but Tony, safely ensconced in the shield, sprawling. Many screamed in added agony as nearby drums of oil finally burst and erupted. Nuffink grunted as Dart pounced on him, shielding him from the flames. Mere seconds passed before she released him with a croon.

Tony blinked, taking a moment to take in the devastation of the deck, before looking around for anymore aggressors—shocked to find none standing. The armor clunked with each step, a gauntleted hand held out to Nuffink. "Thanks. You guys good?"

Dart shook herself before cooing, Nuffink smiling behind the mask. "Yup."

Tony grinned, another remark on his lip, when a terrified shriek echoed over the ship. He whirled around, recognizing her voice anywhere. "J, where's Pepper?"

The HUD flitted, zooming in and out, around the deck and bridge castle until it honed in on an Extremis signature high up—Pepper on a boon with Killian slowly following her up like a cat with a mouse. But all around them, the Soldiers and enhanced were gathering their bearings again.

Nuffink followed his gaze and shouted with a tight frown. "Go! I'll take care of these guys."

Tony blasted and enhanced with enough force through the chest to sear the female Soldier behind him before blasting off the deck.

Nuffink relit his sword and formed another out of ice. He crouched then sprang as the female Soldier drew a new gun and fired, blocking the odd blasts of the weapon with a saffron shield before driving the ice sword into an enhanced and swiping at the female Soldier with the flaming one. She reared back and grabbed his wrist with a grin, yanking him towards her, pistol ready—only to receive an elbow to the face. She yelped and released him, but pulled the trigger.

Dart whirled around, tail flicking about angrily as the dark-skinned Soldier rose from the mess of shipping crates and grabbed a piece of shrapnel, forming it into a dagger and hurling it at the dragon. She blasted it from the air, but he snagged more bits of metal, some turning to daggers while another changed to a Taser. She dodged most, blasting some, but he succeeded in slipping near enough to her to strike a leg with the Taser.

Dart shrieked and turned to snap, missing him but blowing a purple-pink blast at the retreating hand, incinerating the device—the smell of burnt flesh had never before been so appealing as the Soldier staggered back, clutching a twitching, smoking hand.

Nuffink slashed at an enhanced while shielding from a fiery breath of another. The female Soldier aimed her pistol again and he shifted to take the impact of the bullet while fending off the Extremis enhanceds—the odd blast, eerily similar to their old Tesseract weapons, struck the side of his chest and tore through his GIV and dragon scale armor. He stumbled back with a pained cry, brushing the skin beneath; singed but intact. His heart hammered with the new threat and lunged for her again, sword dancing like the flames coating it. She dodged or blocked most of the attacks but was breathing heavily for her liking, staring at the Archipelagon in nigh fear.

Nuffink slammed a toe into her knee, dropping her to the deck, and kicked the abnormal gun from her hand—saffron magic encasing it before disappearing. He glanced down at her, raising his sword to finally rid the Archipelago of one of its greater problems before gasping; his sword slipping from slack fingers.

The dark-skinned soldier still stood poised, arm raised and transfigured gun smoking. The female scrambled away as Dart wailed and blasted the man with the little plasma she had left—sending him crashing into something in the dark with a sickening crack.

Nuffink collapsed to the deck, thoughts scrambling to comprehend—why can't I breathe?!

For a moment, Hiccup couldn't even breathe as he Toothless bounded over to his son, before his voice came back, raised in terror. "Nuffink? Nuffink!" Jumping off his friend's back and kneeling over his son, a dark stream trickled out of Nuffink's side, growing increasingly profuse by the second. An ugly hole left him gasping with a sickening whistle-gurgling noise as the punctured lung struggled to function.

*O*

Pepper almost sobbed as Killian leapt with ease from the catwalk above her to the boom she had hoped to scale down, blocking her intended escape. Looking down as she ran, it was still a lethal fall if she jumped. Taking a step back, she stared frightfully as he merely stood there with an extended hand. "Come now, Pepper, there's no other way down. We can still do this peacefully."

The silver plush hissed from her shoulder, her gaze narrowing at him, gesturing to herself and the battle surrounding them. "You call this peaceful?!"

He huffed, rolling his eyes. "It was supposed to have been. But Hyse and Stark just have to play hero."

Her eyes narrowed, intending to retort, but shrieked instead; scrabbling to grab the beam beneath as the crane shook—a dragon howling in pain. Moments after the shaking stopped, she inhaled sharply as the boom trembled and extended.

Killian, thrown off balance but not thrown from the crane, groaned in annoyance at the sight of Pepper running along the extending arm, glaring at the gangway she might be able to jump to. Tearing after her, he gathered Extremis—letting it burn brighter and hotter in his chest—before spewing it like the dragons at the far end of the boom.

Pepper jerked at the sudden stream of inferno and lost her footing. Her breath caught as she fell, then gasped as she snagged the edge of the boom.

Killian grinned, stalking towards her, only to jerk back with a snarl—her little dragon shrieking and clawing his face. Fist fiery, he swatted the pest away—eagerly eyeing the fluffy hide, waiting for it to burst into flame…It did not. Other than an indignant squawk it ignored his rebuff and attacked his hand, tearing a chunk of skin away before he hissed in pain—throwing the nuisance onto the beam and stomping down. It squealed and Pepper looked up, biting back a sorrowful moan as Killian dug in his heel, stitching ripping open. With a last tail slash at his leg, Killian kicked the plushy off the beam.

Pepper watched it fall, wanting to catch it but didn't dare release her hold. Killian leaned over the edge with a smile. "Need a hand?"

"Pepper!"

She smiled, exhaustion and relief forming new tears. "Tony!"

Killian growled above her, reaching down and fiercely seizing her arm. She yelled while trying to shake him off, but Iron Man roared by and fired—nearly taking his arm off at the shoulder. Barely having a single handhold now, she fell again with a shriek, fingers scarcely clinging to the edge.

Killian stood, shooting Tony a grin as his wounds regenerated. "I wouldn't, Tony, not unless you want her to fall."

Pepper grunted, fighting to re-grip the boom with her other hand, gasping as she looked down again at the ground far below—quickly looking up again.

Tony barely spared Killian a glance as he eased nearer to Pepper. "I got you." He said confidently while Pepper made a distressed sound, trying to grip the beam tighter to stave off the instinct of falling to her death. "You can't stay there—you gotta let go! I'll catch you, I promise."

She nodded, staring into his eye-plates, and let go. She felt the coolness of his suit graze her bare abdomen, nearly catching her armpits, when his feet kicked her away. Yelling in shock as she free-fell, she stared in equal horror as Killian kneeled on Tony's chest, trying to rip the armor off of him, Tony fighting to regain control of his flight. Just as he ripped Killian off and threw him into the side of the crane and righted his flight, the flames and smoke of the oil pyre consumed her.

Tony hovered, staring in shock and dread at where Pepper fell. His flight faltered as his body ceased to respond to anything but the welling grief. The suit jerked back, unbalanced by a sudden weight. He grunted first in surprise, then with the impact as they collided on a walkway.

Killian rolled and stood, rolling his shoulders with a smirk then ran at Tony, fists bright. Tony batted the fist away and snagged the other, aiming for his abdomen—grunting when he grabbed the fist, the heat radiating from the man bordering on uncomfortable despite the spells carved into the suit. Free gauntlet raised, white and red light filled the small space between them, Killian falling backwards while Tony staggered with singed armor. Recovering far too quickly, Killian jumped to deliver a punch through his chest piece, but Tony snatched him from the air and flew to the catwalk overhead. The metal railing shrieked as it tore apart, Killian flipping mid-aid to land on his feet and knees as Tony skidded across the deck and reoriented.

Repulsor shots lit up the deck, but to his dismay, Killian dodged them all with relative ease. A superheated fist struck the abdomen of his armor, denting the metal and heating it dangerously before he could grab and throw him back a distance enough to fire again. Killian dropped and ran at the inventor again as the repulsor whined, snatching his wrist and turning it to shoot himself.

Tony grunted, falling over the edge, but JARVIS caught him, bringing the suit back up to face the crazed man. Killian reached him, eager to test the suit's heat durability again, but Tony shut that down with a knee to the chest before backhanding him—repulsors flaring. Irritatingly, Killian recovered swiftly, attacking quicker that Tony could—with or without the suit.

Air was harshly driven out of his lungs as Killian threw him to the deck, the HUD flickering. "Sir, I am not sure how much more the Archipelagon enchantments can withstand."

Tony could only grunt a reply, then groan as Killian stood over him with a smug grin. "Here we are, having that meeting…finally."

His hand glowed white again, raised to strike the armor dead center, when a dark blur hit him from the side, sending him flying over the walkway's edge. Metal clanged against the deck and the suit whirred as it strained to sit up, staring in shock at the red, white and blue shield sitting innocently on the grating.

"I don't like bullies." Steve said with a huff as he walked over to retrieve his shield then offered a hand to Tony. "Need some help?"

Tony blinked and took a second to register the hand before accepting it. "How the Hel did you get here?"

Loki spun around, coat tails flaring, and caught the swinging gun—emptied of all its munition and now turned into a club—before driving the pommel of his blade onto the man's side. He barely made a sound as he cracked the wall and fell to the ground.

Ringing of the Vibranium shield echoed through the room, a man crying out as he collapsed to the floor. Steve caught the shield on its rebound, eyes hard as he took in the haphazard room. There were a few pained moans, but none attempted to rise. With a disgusted glance, he hurried to one of the many tables, quickly shifting through the papers for anything useful or pertinent.

Loki took another and snatched a few more before leaving with Steve, the cracks of rifles still echoed through the decisively large base. From a nearby room, a man whimpered followed by a growl felt more in your chest than heard. The Super Soldier and god poked their heads in, the latter chuckling at the sight.

Two of the terrorists huddled in the far corner, locked in a constant battle of trying to shove the other to the front and into the waiting jaws of the snarling polar bear. Steve frowned at their oddly unarmed persons before spying their twisted weapons—one impaled in the wall.

"Jör!" Loki called, the disguised Dýrsvell eagerly abandoned the men with one last warning growl before bounding over to his Commander. Neither man moved, the warning from the impossibly trained bear more than enough to keep them rooted to the spot, let alone Loki's piercing gaze.

Feet thumped down the hallway to their position, Rumlow and company rounded the corner, pausing at the sight of the terrified men. Rumlow gestured to his men before casually strolling up to Loki and Steve. "Good job. They're terrified enough, it probably won't take much to break them."

Loki snorted, barely restraining himself from glaring at the man, scratching Jör's head as the bear growled happily. "It wouldn't have taken much to begin with."

Steve frowned as he watched Loki watching Rumlow, an unease settling in his gut before turning his attention to the STRIKE team cuffing the Ten Rings terrorists. "Let's just hope these guys aren't as rooted and spread out as Hydra was."

Steve eyed Rumlow as he chuckled dryly, glancing away from America's golden boy to bark orders at his team. He didn't miss the warning look in Loki's eye either, but the trickster played along with a light smirk. "I don't know…Hiccup rather enjoyed those jaunts."

Steve rolled his eyes with a smile, spying Rumlow subtly watching them. "It's a good thing the colonel is dead; he'd have a heart attack if he learned what all Hakon actually did during the war."

Loki smiled easily, remembering a few infiltrations. "Indeed. He actually-" He stopped, face suddenly stricken.

Steve's grin fell and glanced at Jör, the bear's intense gaze fixed intently on Loki. "Loki? Are you-?"

"It's Hiccup." Loki said curtly, as if that explained anything. His arms snapped out, one entangling itself in Jör's fur while the other wrapped around one of Steve's shield straps.

"Wha-?" Steve started before the world flashed and he nearly stumbled on a transparent rainbow beneath his feet. Loki held him firmly but didn't give respite as he started along the mind-bending pathway. Steve found his footing, almost trotting to keep up with Loki, Jör running ahead. Before he could attempt asking again, the strange path disappeared with another green flash to reveal a cargo ship, lit only by the fires on its deck and explosions that rivaled the Fourth of July.

Steve turned and recoiled a step, Nuffink laying near motionless on the deck with a clear wound and Hakon kneeling over him—green magic swirling around his hand and the wound, face scrunched in strain and concern.

Loki was already stooping to help his Chosen when a battle cry disrupted the bubble, Hiccup jerking, eyes wide as he tensed for the fight. Loki rounded on the luminescent opponent with a death wish, dagger already in hand. Toothless and Dart snarled, pressing closer to their riders, but Jör leapt on the man—claws raking deep before Loki disposed of the Muspelheim aspirant with no mercy.

Steve stood by the mostly black dragon, feeling a brand of useless he hadn't felt since Bucky fell. Fists clenched, he took in the dwindling battle—the explosions already lessening by the second—and narrowed his eyes at an odd skirmish taking place on a crane's catwalk far above. Well, strange in that it was a normal clash…that was until the thrusters of an Iron Man suit streaked through the air up to it.

With half a glance at Loki easily tearing through any opponents brave or stupid enough to engage and Hiccup busy with Nuffink with his two dragon protectors, he sprinted for the nearest ladder. He constantly glanced up at the skirmish overhead as he fought his way up, throwing an enhanced over the edge as he ran. The fight moved to a slightly lower deck, enough for him to throw his shield and jump.

He landed as the man plummeted with a shout, Tony sitting up with a stained whir of the suit—the helmet locking on him. Retrieving his shield by stomping on it and flipping it into his grasp, Steve turned to Tony with an awkward smile and said the only thing that came to mind. "I don't like bullies. Need some help?"

Tony snorted a long suffering laugh before accepting the hand, visor flicking up. "How the Hel did you get here?"

Steve started to answer before closing his mouth with a thoughtful frown, finally saying. "I have no idea. An Archipelagon thing or an Asgardian thing…I don't know."

"Really no difference." Tony turned, staring at the chaos and carnage littering the ship, most of it dying down—gaze finally settling on the still raging inferno of flaming oil drums right below them. He sagged, the drain of the battle catching up on him. Staring into the fire below, he felt little, still trying to comprehend that she was actually gone.

Steve took a breath, placing a hand on the armored shoulder even though the genius couldn't feel it. "Let's go see how Nuffink's doing."

Tony's brows pinched, spine straightening. "What happened to Nuffink?"

"You didn't-" Steve hummed dismissively at his own thoughts. "He's injured pretty badly. If he wasn't Archipelagon and if I hadn't seen the impossible stuff Hakon and Loki can do, I'd say it's lethal."

Tony's breath hitched. Not another one! Wasn't Pepper's death enough?! "Need a ride down?" He asked in a clipped tone.

"Sure." Steve answered with barely a glance at the ground at least a hundred feet below. He almost regretted that decision the instant Tony snagged his arms—the tumultuous freefall and abrupt thruster breaking making him wish he'd just jumped and dealt with the potentially hazardous landing.

The suit clunked as Tony 'ran' over to the cluster of dragons and people. With the battle now largely won, the healers made their way through the destruction, looking for survivors. Ivanna knelt by Hiccup's side, stabilizing her brother further before shifting him to a stretcher. "Help me lift him." She said with a carefully crafted calmness.

Hiccup and Loki shifted the stretcher from the ground to Ruffrunner, sporting a saddle to carry the stretcher rather than a rider, her hands never leaving his side as her teal magic encompassed and pulsed around his chest. In the telltale flash, they vanished, others lighting across the ship as the wounded followed.

Hiccup breathed heavily, running a red hand through his matting hair. Loki gripped his shoulder and said something too low to hear. Tony sighed, turning away from his godfather, staring at the mess the ship became. The Archipelagons on dragon-back swept over the ship and dockyard for any stragglers and he could spot a group of maybe a half-dozen huddled together with a couple of Speed Stingers keeping guard.

With a thought, scanning the ship visually and with JARVIS, Tony frowned. "That's not good."

"What's not?" Steve asked, instinctively gripping his shield tighter.

Tony activated thrusters, clearing enough air to view the whole ship. Still seeing the same thing, or the lack thereof. "The Super Soldiers—they're gone."

Steve's mind stalled for a moment, his stomach twisting. "Bucky was here?" He whispered.

"Hn?" Tony's visored head snapped around before realizing, "Oh, no…Apparently they made more."

Steve's face pinched, shoulders falling. "Do we have any idea who they are?"

The helmet shifted from side to side, their faces in a small column as JARVIS ran a search. "Not yet."

Steve's face fell, looking down and wanting to say something, when the flames flickered oddly. Head tilting to the side, he narrowed his eyes as a form emerged from the fire; stance shifting and raising his shield.

Tony tensed inside his armor, enhancing the image on his HUD. Though the figure was now clear, he stood rooted to the spot until they cried out in joy. "Tony!"

That was enough to jolt him into action, running up to Pepper as she cleared the blaze—almost sweeping her into his arms before JARVIS practically shouted in his ear, "Sir! She is still radiating compromising levels of heat. Contact is not advised."

Her face scrunched and if she wasn't super-heated, tears would be falling. She tried taking deep breaths until her panic subsided enough to be safe; through it all she clutched a charred little mass, a long gash spilling its stuffing. Her gaze bounced between it and him as she regained control of herself so she wouldn't literally burn someone alive with her gaze. "He, he saved me and now…I know it's just a toy and not alive, but I've been through too much and…he's dead."

She started crying, cool enough now that tears flowed. Tony leapt out of the suit and held her tightly, glancing at the poor little stuffed dragon. Surprised it was still in a comprehensible chunk. Must've been fireproofed…living with dragons and all. I really should stop being so surprised at these things. "Hey, hey honey. It's alright—they have shops full of these things."

Her tears stopped, breaths coming more evenly. "I just feel bad for it. You just gave it to me and it's dead within a week." She looked up into his eyes and finally smiled slightly. "I'm glad you're alright."

Tony snorted with his usual cocky grin. "Of course I'm alright. You, on the other hand, scared the devil out of me."

She smirked, relieved to fall back into this bit of normalcy. "Why? Because I fell two-hundred feet?"

He shrugged with a bit back grin. She rolled her eyes and pulled away, running a hand through her hair as she looked around the half destroyed ship before looking down at herself, a few veins still glowing periodically. "So, who's the hot mess now?"

Tony looked her over before taking a mental account of himself. "Still debatable. Scale's tipping your way a bit more. Why don't you dress like this at home? The sports bra—the whole deal."

She glared at him before letting her shoulders fall. "I am so taking a vacation until the New Year."

Tony laughed and gently led her to the gathering group of Archipelagons. "I think you have more than deserved it."

Pepper flinched when they passed the burning drums but hardly felt the scorching heat. "Am I going to be okay?" She asked softly.

Tony's brows pinched and pulled her a little closer. "No—you're in a relationship with me. Everything will never be okay." She shot him a light glare that he smiled at. "How about we take that vacation to the Archipelago? I hear they have some amazing hot springs and they can probably help you out…they did make wonder boy over there. Besides, I almost had this twenty years ago when I was drunk…I think I can help get ya better."

She took a lighter breath and eagerly nodded. The Archipelagons were already dispersing, injured gone, and now taking the Extremis prisoners with them. Tony smirked a little at their terrified faces. Steve stood near Hiccup as he spoke with a few of his people, Loki never leaving his side with a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Loki and Steve suddenly jerked, both reaching up to their right ears with pained winces. Loki ripped an earpiece out and scowled at the tiny voice shrieking from it while Steve managed to keep his in. "Agh—Fury, we can hear you perfectly fine."

The Archipelagon chattering silenced and drew near to Loki's earpiece, still held at an arm's length with said god glaring at the raging human on the other side.

*Where have you been?! Rumlow contacted us ten minutes ago saying that you and Loki just vanished. Has he gone rogue already?!*

Loki's lips thinned, saying shortly, "Something of more pressing urgency came up, director."

*So pressing we couldn't contact you?*

"That was not the intention." Loki grinned. "But it was a pleasant happenstance."

Fury began grilling the trickster about protocol and being a part of a team, but Loki lost all interest, tossing the earpiece to Steve. Steve caught it with a helpless look before sighing and slightly turning away from the group. "Director Fury, you can stop trying to lecture Loki…Yes, sir, I know.

"I had little control of anything.

"Be grateful he at least took me along.

"No, I don't know why we went radio silent, our coms were active the entire time. Best guess is that we were being jammed here.

"Yes, sir, this was another one of Stark's messes."

"Hey!" Tony yelped indignantly. "I didn't start this!"

Steve sighed long-sufferingly at both Tony and Fury, listening to the director for a long minute before shaking his head and tiredly taking out his earpiece and pocketing both—a small voice still speaking on the other end.

Tony's jaw hit the floor at the action. "Did you just…perfect little soldier boy-?"

Steve smiled almost guiltily. "Wouldn't be the first time. Can I come with you guys to the Archipelago?"

So little note on the blade the Archipelagon of non-descendent was carrying; the blade coated in Bewilderbeast spit and freezes with air on contact. It functions sort of like Inferno in that Bewilderbeast spit coats the blade then it freezes when drawn instead of igniting.

Well, hope this tides you over for a bit and enjoy the beginning of spring. Until next chapter!