A.I.: Orphans of Terra (HTTYD)

3

AN: 2019!!!! YEAY (Does a little jig for readers)  

Chapter 3

Hiccup's eyes widened as he realized what he was seeing. He looked around for the other guards but the three were not yet looking in his direction. Hiccup ran towards Sven who was the closest and grabbed the big man by the arm. "Hiccup wh-" Sven was startled and didn't get to finish his question when Hiccup shouted "RAIDERS!"

The guard's bushy eyebrows shot up and he quickly hollered to the others, getting Bucket and Ack's attention. Hiccup was two steps ahead of them and started sounding the alarm bell, waking up all the men that were sleeping outside. The teens and even some of the women also woke up immediately and Stoick came marching towards Hiccup looking quite grumpy. "Hiccup what is the meaning of this?!" The Chief asked.

"Dad....." Hiccup started but was interrupted by Stoick again.

"Hiccup that bell isn't a toy!" Stoick chastised just as cranky old Mildew mumbled nearby "Oh this boy....."

"DAD!" Hiccup had had enough and shouted before reaching up and grabbing Stoick's face on each side of his cheeks. He quickly turned his father's face towards the oncoming lights. "Raiders!! Do you actually think I'm joking?!!"

The effect was near instantaneous. Hiccup saw his father's eyes widening, his red bushy eyebrows shoot up, and then he was barking orders at all the men. "Where are the guards? Do we know who that is?! Get the women and children on the busses!! Ready the guns!"

Bucket came running back not a minute later from wherever he had gone. Hiccup presumed that the man went scouting and he was right. "Chief it's The Dragons!" the guard reported and Hiccup heard his father curse in Norwegian. Stoick only ever cursed in Norwegian if he really really really really hated something and he really really really really hated The Dragons. They were wasteland raiders that attacked settlements or travelers in small groups and retreated just as fast as they came.

"Dragons," Hiccup could hear his father scoft. "Ready your weapons. We'll pick 'em off one by one."

"I don't think that that will work this time Chief." Bucket nervously spoke. "This isn't an ordinary raiding party."

"What?" Stoick said as he looked at the guard for clarification.

"These numbers are large. Very large." The man gestured wildly as those around them stopped to listen to the news. Hiccup noted several men's eyes widen and some of the women were quickly ushering the younger kids into the vehicles where they would be somewhat protected protected.

"What!" Stoick shouted and Hiccup jumped because he was so close to the booming voice.

"We might have landed close to their base without knowing it." Bucket mused. "They are at least six raiding parties strong."

Hiccup heard his dad curse again and he gulped. While The Dragon's raiding parties were small they were extremely agile. In and Out. Not a lot of mercy given to those they stole supplies from. The damage six raiding parties could do....... Hiccup left that to the imagination.

Stoick looked around and then he spotted something. "Get these vehicles behind that crumbled overpass!" He ordered. The vehicles started to move, albeit more slowly than the lights that were coming towards them, but move they did. Hiccup wondered what The Dragons were using to power theirs. The busses were only working on reserve power now since the sun wasn't shining and Stoick ordered the men to lay cover fire if they weren't safely behind the overpass yet.

"Forget the supplies that are out!" Stoick barked as he saw some men hurry to pick those up. "We got no time!"

"Hiccup get on the bus!" Stoick then ordered.

"Dad I can help....."

"Hiccup, no you can't! Get on the bus!" Stoick said more firmly as the rest of the teens were allowed to help. Snotlout shoved Hiccup with his shoulder before saying "See Useless," under his breath. The wild shouts of the raider's convoys became louder and louder in the night air and people tensed when they heard a telltale whistle.

"Night Fury get down!" Hiccup heard Gobber shout and then the first shots came. Purple plasma bolts were shot with precision, taking out the men manning the guns on top of the vehicles. Hiccup could hear the men groaning from the burns as the women quickly pulled them inside to treat their wounds. Everyone in the wastelands knew the legend of the Night Fury. He was the one raider that never stole supplies, never was seen, and never missed his target. If the Night Fury wanted the men he shot dead then they would be dead. There was a flurry in the bus that Hiccup stepped in and in the distance he could still hear his father shouting orders. The vehicles were nearly behind the ruins of the overpass and Hiccup assumed that they would use those as a cover to get out of the area.

The first shots from the Berkians came not long after and Hiccup could faintly make out them taking down some of the raiders. It still wasn't enough as many more soon joined them. They were going to be overrun and Hiccup didn't want to imagine what would happen to them if they were captured. The chaos on the bus was marginal as it mostly consisted of women holding the children close for comfort. Hiccup looked around and then spotted his things, meager as they were, stashed in a corner. He quickly riffled through them as the famed whistling noise came back and injured several more Berkians. Hiccup heard the screams even as all the vehicles made it behind the crumbled overpass. Stoick had given them the order to keep on moving to ensure the caravan and supplies stayed safe.

Hiccup's eyes lit up when he found what he was looking for, hidden in a small box underneath some of the scrap he tinkers with every now and then. The box held three inconspicuous canisters that he had made while they were still living in the settlement. He quickly grabbed the canisters and hurried off the bus, ignoring the other Berkians who were yelling for him to come back. Hiccup climbed the rubble of the overpass and from there he could see the chaos down below. While the vehicles were safely behind a barrier they wouldn't be safe for long because The Dragons were overwhelming their fighters.

"DAD!" Hiccup called as he saw his father kick one of the raiders in the stomach. The man groaned and lay sprawled out on the ground.

Stoick turned and his bushy eyebrows shot up again. "Hiccup what are you.... Get back on the bus!!!"

"Dad tell everyone to cover their eyes!" Hiccup shouted.

"What in hell?!" Stoick shouted back as he whacked one of the raiders over the head. "Son now is no-DAD JUST DO IT!" Hiccup interrupted. Stoick could see the look his son had and it was one of determination. He quickly analysed the situation and realized he had nothing to lose.

"Cover your eyes!" Stoick's voice boomed and the Berkians were quick to obey. Just before Stoick closed his eyes he saw Hiccup pulling a pin and throwing something. There was a great big flash of light that blinded the raiders who were unprepared.

"Retreat!" The Chief ordered. He was loath to let The Dragons go but they were outnumbered right now. The Berkians quickly hurried towards the overpass as Hiccup threw another canister of Thor-knows-what before covering his own eyes. Another blinding flash appeared at the backs of the Berkians and the raiders were effectively plunged into chaos. Stoick quickly climbed up the rubble and grabbed his son by the back of his shirt before hightailing it to the vehicles. Hiccup still had one canister left but he decided to keep that in reserve for now.

"Are you alri-" Hiccup was interrupted by his father who said in his gruff voice "We are going to have a talk son."