Nuclear

Chapter Two:

Fine..

After successfully climbing down into the basement of a high rise flat, the boys, Toothless, and their newfound companion were greeted by an unexpected sight.

Standing in the middle of an otherwise homely set-up was a pale ginger girl, looking like a deer caught in headlights. Her eyes widened at the three, and her shoulders tensed.

"Who are you!?" Crystal eyes and forest eyes turned to the timid blonde, who looked just as confused as them about this stranger living in her supposedly secret hideout. Seeing this, Jack's eyes and his scrutinising gaze turned back to the fiery-haired girl. "Well!?"

"It's none of yer business, ye hoodie-wearing plank." Not liking his attitude, the girl spat through clenched teeth, a heavy Scottish accent coating her words, dripping from her thin rosy lips as she spoke.

"What did you just call me?" Jack gave one hard tug on his hood, pulling it further on his head, concealing his forehead and upper eyes in a dark shadow.

"Ye heard me." Crossing her arms over her chest defensively, she glared daggers at the male, before catching a glimpse of blonde behind the tall statured boy. "Zel?" Her tone was soft and her face contorted into shock.

The green-eyed girl, however, knitted her eyebrows in confusion.

Jack's head snapped to Rapunzel, his eyes almost as confused as hers. "You know her?" Flinching at the harshness of his words, the tanned girl glanced at the redhead before shaking her head no, casting her eyes to the ground.

"Zel it's me! It's Mer!!!" Pushing through the two males, she walked up to the blonde, stopping when she saw her take a tiny step back. "My God what happened to you..." Her deep ocean eyes scanned the girl from head-to-toe, taking in all the changes since they last saw one another.

"You look so different.. but I'd recognise those eyes anywhere." The Scottish girl stared at Rapunzel with sympathetic ocean eyes.

"Okay, some explain what's going on for the love of Odin!" The puzzled brunette disrupted the moment, and three pairs of eyes turned on him. He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, Toothless flopping onto a pillow, done with his owner's silliness. "Please..?"

"Before this," the redhead stopped to gesture around with her hands, "Rapunzel and I were best mates. After I moved over here from Scotland, she became my only friend."

Hiccup felt bad for both girls. Rapunzel had clearly lost a good chunk of her memory, and this other girl lost her best friend.

"I'm Hiccup Haddock, that's Rapunzel as you already know, that's Toothless, and hoodie over there is Jack Frost." The pale boy shot a sharp glare in his companion's direction, rolling his eyes before resting his back against a wall, arms folded across his chest.

The redhead snorted, "Merida Dunbroch." she stuck her hand out and Hiccup gladly shook it.

"Pretty neat setup you got here." The brunette said as he wandered about, admiring the comfortable makeshift bed with pillows blankets and duvets, the telescope aimed out the thin window up top of the basement, a step ladder leading up to it. His forest eyes trailed over the stacks of torn and dusty books, and the collection of canned goods scattered about shelves.

"Cheers. Half of it was already set up before hand." The ginger shrugged, sitting on a dark green bean bag.

"Rapunzel?" The blonde was still stood close to the hatch, her eyes downcast and a frown on her face. Her eyes snapped up at the mention of her name, drifting over to the teenage boy.

"What do you remember exactly? I mean, jf you can't remember your best friend but can remember your name then what?" Jack, still keeping his hood tight, pushed himself off the wall, walking towards the girl in an intimidating manner.

"I think I can help with that." Before the pale boy could get an answer out of her, Merida spoke up. "What'd you wanna know?"

"The basics." Hiccup responded before Jack could. The scot nodded and gestured for everyone to take a seat. Hiccup sag on one of those camping chairs, whilst Rapunzel made her way over and rested on a particularly large pillow. Toothless nestled in beside Merida, taking a liking to her. The unamused Jack however, stayed sat on the floor a good distance from the rest.

"Basics okay... Her full name is Rapunzel Corona. She's 16, soon to be 17. She was an only child, with an adoptive mother who's a bitch and a half." Hiccup chuckled at this. The blonde leaned forward, intrigued to learn more about her life. "She is a damn good artist, and has the voice of an angel. Not to mention she's a smart little thing too."

Crystal blue eyes jumped from the redhead to the blonde, seeing her smiling he felt like rolling his eyes. It was cynical of him, but he believed her to be faking the memory loss, and turned his attention elsewhere, though he couldn't help but hear them still talking.

"Uhm.. I think that's about it.. Oh! And she had this boyfriend, Hans Southern. Man, was he a dick." Suddenly, her breathing got heavier and her face contorted into one of pain.

She stood up abruptly, catching everyone's attention and took weary, stumbled steps to the hatch, opening it and running out.

"Zel!"

"Rapunzel!"

Hiccup and Merida called after her, but she couldn't hear them, she was caught in her own thoughts, trapped inside her mind. Toothless jumped up, ready to run after her before Hiccup whistled telling him to stay put.

"Oh for fuck sake." Muttering under his breath, Jack chased after her.

The rain had thankfully slowed a bit, but it hadn't stopped completely, and no doubt with the attire Rapunzel was wearing would she get a few burns.

"Rapunzel!?" He saw the figure of her running up ahead, and picked up the pace, latching onto her arm with a firm grip.

Gasping out of surprise, Rapunzel's teary eyes darted about, looking everywhere except for Jack.

"Alright sunshine, I don't know what this is, but it has to stop! You cannot just dash off, especially in the middle of rainfall!!!" Her eyes finally met his, his raised voice causing a tear to slip from her eye. "Fuck.." He sighed, partially in regret, partially in exasperation.

He ran a pale hand through his hair, his other one still holding onto her arm.

"W-white.." The tiny squeak of her voice made his attention turn to the fact his hood had slipped off when he ran. He let go of her arm to tug his hood back on, in the process a drop of acidic rain fell onto his arm, the fabric of his hoodie tearing away as it burned his skin.

"Ah, motherfucker!" He hissed in pain, latching onto the area.

Rapunzel's frown changed into concern, and she held his arm, dragging him behind her back to the basement.

"Thank god yer alright!" Without hesitation, Merida wrapped her arms around the seemingly calm blonde. Toothless was sound asleep, snoring to which the blonde smiled.

"Hurt." Pulling back, her eyebrows furrowed. "Jack. He's hurt." Her voice still croaked like the first time Hiccup heard it, but this time it didn't break.

"I'm fine." The white-haired boy protested through clenched teeth.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, punching him lightly on the burned area, receiving a groan and a glare in response. "Fuck you."

"C'mere dumbass." The scot pulled out a first aid kit, yanking the boy into a chair so she could check the wound.

"You okay Punz?" Whilst Merida tended to Jack, the tall brunette took a few steps til he was stood beside the onlooking girl.

She looked up at him, his eyes genuine. Smiling slightly, she nodded, her eyes then wandering to the rapidly healing wound on hand.

"Fine.." An inaudible whisper, no one else hears.