[Normal P.O.V]
San Diego Bay, Valhalla
20:37 P.M.
Night Fury's Mission Status: ????
Night Fury can be an emotionless, cold killing machine, but when he's on a giant Spectacled Owl flying a hundred meters in the air, all alarms in his head would go off. He likes doing daredevil tricks, and life-threatening actions. But somehow, flying in the air gives him the shivers. He still couldn't figure out on how the mysterious Rogue Rider sat on the owl's head, calm and unfazed.
Once they landed, Night Fury jumped off and immediately ran to the nearest bathroom. The Rogue Rider stifled a laugh as Night Fury came out of the bathroom, with his hand clutching his stomach.
"I'll never look at an owl, ever in my life." Night Fury groaned.
The giant owl chirped and tilted his head on to his side, watching him. Night Fury shot a glare at him, but the owl continued to stare at him with its big yellow eyes.
The Rogue Rider finally let out a laugh, as she watched the two interact. "Come inside, Night Fury. Let's talk about your predicament."
Night Fury has been here a couple of times already but he still couldn't stop gaping at it. It's a majestic ice-roofed caldera made out entirely out of solid ice, that almost looks an explosion happened then just froze. Held up by iconic ice pillars, it safely floats above the bay, an underwater volcano underneath it to prevent it from sinking. Frozen icicles popped out of the structure, as droplets of water trickled down the points, and falling into the water. At the very front, is two iron gates, the knobs shaped into the heads of lions. To everyone in San Diego, all they see is a frozen popsicle in the middle of the bay, and pay no attention to it, unaware of the organization called Valhalla living inside.
The Rogue Rider, politely bowed then led Night Fury inside.
To be honest, the first time Night Fury went here, he'd been expecting a gloomy interior like the hold of a ship, but it was more like a cathedral and a barn-house combined. The first thing he noticed, is that it wasn't freezing cold. It had just the right temperature for fireplaces to be erected, and cold enough for the ice to be kept standing. The ceiling rose all the way to the keel. The oar-hole windows crosshatched the air with bars of light. A small waterfall fell from the ceiling and into a river vein that flowed in the middle of the space. The entire space was open, no separate rooms or partitions – only training fields, mini-houses, clusters of sofas, couches, and hammocks, most of which were occupied by some snoring residents of Valhalla.
But that's not the most shocking part. Nearly hundreds of hybrid animals roamed the open space while some of the people tend to them. And they weren't scurrying around like rodents. No, they were trampling across the floor, each the size of a Kodiak bear or bigger. He just saw a ten-foot long eagle, with its lower half resembling a lion. It sore through the air with its huge feathery wings, playing with some of the hanging icicles on the ceiling. An enormous bblack wolf trudged past him, with not one, but three heads. Each of its head bears a pair of blood-red eyes.
Night Fury then spotted a bright orange fox with nine, long tails sprouting on its behind, bearing a white spot on the ends, pattering around the pearl-white floor.
But not only hybrid animals inhabited the place. Valhalla is also considered a military organization, just like Drakos. Hundreds of Valhalla's warriors were everywhere, wearing full-plated white armor, and carrying the most bizarre kinds of weapons. Like, a staff with three iron spiked balls hanging on the end by chains. Most of them looked like they were in college or highschool, though some looked slightly older. Guys and girls sat together in small groups, lounging in front of fireplaces, chatting, eating snacks or playing games like chess and Scrabble and drinking contests.
Night Fury followed the Rogue Rider to a seat by an ice pillar and the fireplace, a cozy fire crackling in the hearth. Night Fury politely refused when she offered him a seat, preferring to stand and lean by the pillar.
Rogue Rider took a seat on one of the couches, placing her staff down. Then a Valhalla warrior walked towards them, holding a tray filled with drinks and assorted snacks.
"Welcome back, Va- I mean, Rider." The warrior greeted, presenting the tray.
Rogue Rider took a mug of mead, and a muffin, "Thank you, Krista. I hope that everything ran smoothly when I was gone?"
"Yes, Rider. Though, Gruff and Lump have been disturbing the others in their training. But other than that, everything's fine." She replied with a smile.
"Well done, lass. Thank you." Rogue Rider nodded.
Krista nodded at her with a smile then walked over to Night Fury, and offered her tray.
"You should've remembered that I don't eat sweets. But I guess I'll take a beer" Night Fury said as he grabbed a Heineken bottle. "Glad to see you again, Krista."
Krista blushed, as she tucked a strand of her caramel brown hair behind her ear. "Y- You too, Fury. Anyways, I- I'll get going now. Bye! And good luck!"
She then walked away, with a slight sway of her hips. But Night Fury took no notice of it as he popped open the bottle and took a swig of his beer using a small opening on his mask.
Rogue Rider sighed, "How can you be so smart but so dense and oblivious at the same time?"
Night Fury made a confused face as he placed down the bottle, "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing. So, what's this thing about Drago?"
"To keep it short, Drago attacked us during the graduation of our recruits. We immediately launched a major operation as to attack Drago's fortress. As of right now, the mission has already begun." Night Fury summarized calmly, taking another sip on his beer.
"Why did you attack right away?" Rogue Rider exclaimed.
"It's either we attack first, or let them massacre us. I don't know about you, but seeing Drakos fall apart doesn't really make me celebrate and dance the cha cha." Night Fury sassed as he took another swig of his beer, finishing the entire bottle.
"This isn't a game, Night Fury. Drago is a madman with too much power in his hands. He'll destroy you!" She said, standing up now.
"If I don't act now, he'll continue to attack us until we're reduced to rubble. I'm trying to save Drakos." Night Fury retorted.
Rogue Rider huffed, "You are leading your men to their deaths, that's what you're doing!"
"We lost 93 agents in Drago's attack! One of them being my former student. Shatter is in critical condition! I will not stand by and watch Drakos die!" His tone venomous and his posture straightens viper-sharp, almost as if ready to strike.
Rogue Rider blinked, and sighed. She sat back down to her seat, placing her hand over her mask. "But you're still outnumbered, Fury."
Night Fury deadpanned. "That's why I'm here, Valka. I know you want revenge, and this is your chance."
Rogue Rider froze and widened her eyes, "H- How do you know my name?"
Night Fury let out an exasperated sigh as he clasp his hand over his mask. He then unlocked the strap with s click, and separated the mask from his face, along with his hood. Under Rogue Rider's mask, her eyes only grew wider as Night Fury revealed his face.
His mop of auburn hair fell to his face, partially covering his emerald-green eyes. He now held his mask on his hand, and proudly looked up. Rogue Rider's eyes then trailed down to a small scar on his chin, and she visibly gasped. Memories began to fill her head. Her standing in a garden, holding a beautiful baby boy with the same auburn hair and green eyes. And most importantly, the same scar on his chin. Suddenly, her chest felt too tight, and the air too thin.
Trembling, her hands unconsciously went up to her face, grabbing her mask, and pulled it down. Night Fury watched her as she glanced up, revealing her physical features. Her auburn hair was kept into three braids that stretched down to her back, and she had a few light wrinkles on her face, near her cheeks and eyes. Her sea-blue eyes trembled and flickered over the person in front of her, not wanting to take them off.
"Cause' I'm your son. Hayden Haddock..." And for the first time in a long time, a smile graced Hayden's face.
That's when Valka broke down. Tears burst forth from her eyes like water from a dam, spilling down her face. Many emotions swirled in her heart. Pain, relief, happiness, sadness. But most of all, guilt. She hated herself for leaving. Leaving her son. But she had to. Why? Because she was selfish. She felt that her place wasn't in Berk so she left. And every single day, she regretted it. But at the same time, if she had the chance to go back in time, she would do it all over again. And she hated herself for that. Valka trembled as she pressed her hands against her eyes to stop the tears from flowing when suddenly, two arms wrapped around her, and pressed her body against their chest. She looks up to see Night Fury, no... Hayden, her son, hugging and comforting her.
She sobbed into his chest unceasingly, hands clutching at his armor. He held her in silence, rocking her slowly as her tears soaked his chest. A tiny lapse let her pull away, blinking lashes heavy with tears, before she collapsed again, her howls of regret worsening. The pain must have come in waves, minutes of sobbing broken apart by short pauses for recovering breaths, before hurling her back into the outstretched arms of her grief.
Some of the Valhalla warriors stopped in their tracks and watched the scene unfold in shock. But the two merely ignored them. Hayden gently rubbed her back, and placed his head on hers.
"Don't worry, mom. I'm here..."
....................................
Isla Guatemala, Drago's Fortress
20:57 P.M.
Omega Unit Status: Phase 2
Astrid sneaked past another squad of soldiers, hiding behind a barrack. Zythid, Shawn, Thuggory, Eret, and Kai followed the same. They were instructed to hide in the north side of the fortress, while the rest of the unit are scattered across the entire fortress, waiting for the signal to strike.
"Guys, where are we going to stay?" Eret whispered to them.
"There's a small warehouse by the gun range. We'll hide there and wait for the signal." Astrid replied, as she sneaked a peak at the side of the barrack.
Shawn snorted, "What even is the signal?"
"Captain said that it'll be big and exciting. So, yeah." Kai shrugged.
"Whoop-dee doo, another mysterious plan." Zythid said dryly as they got up and sprinted towards the warehouse, hiding behind it. The entrance was covered by a folding steel gate, with three glass openings as windows.
Astrid scanned the area, checking for any signs of Drago's men, before rolling forward towards the gate. Fortunately, her small size helped her squeeze inside the small opening, disappearing inside.
The rest just stared indecorously at where Astrid used to stand.
"I think she just abandoned us." Eret said to no one in particular.
Zythid, who was on the lookout, rolled his eyes, "You think?"
All of a sudden, a small panel door opened wide, just right behind them. The sudden opening made them flinch, while Shawn let out a squeal. Astrid looked at them with a deadpanned face, "Are you coming or what?"
The rest got up and followed Astrid inside, closing the door behind them. Astrid turned the lights on, and the view shocked them. The corrugated iron roof was domed some twenty-five feet above them, like a shanty-town cathedral. But that's not what they're shocked about.
It was like that scene in Kingsman, when Galahad revealed the weapons and gadgets room to Eggsy. But only if the weapons and gadgets had been multiplied by two. Rows of different kinds of weapons are lined up against the wall, both modern and traditional, some are even mixed. There were traditional weapons of every kind like scimitars, tantos, tridents. Modern weapons like rifles, handguns, and RPGs.
Then there's the ones they haven't seen before like a gatling gun that shoots pint-sized javelins. An electric whip that sparks out red lightning, and a small sword that has a plasma-shaped blade.
The six of them stared slack-jawed at the scene in front of them, before looking at each other as a mischievous grin grew on their faces.
...............................
For the last ten minutes, the six agents spent around messing with the weapons. Swinging battle axes around, mocking a bank robbery, and even playing "Guess That Thing".
Astrid was playing with a shuriken, blissfully spinning it on her finger, when the door opened. One of Drago's soldier has entered the warehouse and witnessed the most bizarre break-in in his entire life.
Shawn and Eret were playing bowling with a cluster grenade as their bowling ball, and some warheads of an RPG as their pins. Kai, Zythid, and Astrid were playing a game of darts with shurikens, throwing knives, and spears. While Thuggory was bench-pressing a bunch of hammers.
They all froze, and stared at the lone soldier who is too confused and shocked to do anything.
"Uhh, hi?" Astrid waved awkwardly at the soldier.
"If I give you five bucks, will you not tell anyone we were here?" Shawn arched an eyebrow, smoothly pulling out a five-follar bill.
To their surprise, the man shrugged and took the five-dollar bill, pocketing it. He smiled at the Shawn, and simply said, "We don't get paid that much..."
Unfortunately for them, something else got his and their attention, along with the entire fortress. At first no-one moves, their brains unable to make sense of the input from their ears and feet. The ground is moving and the noise is like extended thunder only worse because the vibrations are coming from below. Then all of them, including the soldier, rushed out of the warehouse
Pillars of fiery smoke and dust, still boiling up from where the bombs had gone off underground, violently erupted from the corners of the fortress. Sparks and flashes broke out as great gushes of flame rose. Blasts of flames imploded from the ground that came at nearly forty feet above the ground, and large rags of fire, changing from red to violet and back through the spectrum to red again. Windows shattered. Barracks and garrisons crumbled Thousands of pieces of glass and steel, a deadly rainfall, showered down from the skyscraper. Alarms erupted around as thousands of Drago's soldiers woke up and rushed out to see the commotion.
"Oh, so that's the signal." Shawn muttered.
Then am unbelievably loud voice was heard throughout the entire fortress, "DRAKOS! THIS IS OUR TIME! RAIN DEATH AND BLOOD ON THESE MOTHERFUCKERS!"
Cutthroat's voice echoed throughout the entire area, confusing the soldiers who had just woken up. Then, a loud battle cry emitted from every place side and place in the fortress as Drakos agents emerged from the hiding places and attacked the bewildered soldiers. This is where the term 'bloodbath' came from. Though Drago's soldiers outnumbered them, Drakos had the element of surprise, plus destroying nearly half of the fortress. The Drakos agents destroyed everything related to Drago in their path.
If that wasn't enough, horns suddenly blew from outside of the fortress. Drago's soldiers began to cheer, thinking it's the men they sent out to eliminate the Alpha Unit. But their cheering slowly died down when the iron gate that blocks intruders from entering, broke down and fell towards the ground with a metallic crash.
A foot planted itself on top of the fallen gate, showing Dagur, literally smeared with blood and oil, holding his rusted sword in his hand, and an automatic machine gun on the other. Behind him, were hundreds of Drakos agents, almost in the same situation with Dagur, while emitting a different aura. With a crazy maniacal cry, Dagur charged onward, as the entire unit behind him
followed—forty extremely enraged agents screaming for blood.
They slammed into a vanguard of Drago's soldiers that were attacking some of the Omega Unit, completely crushing them like a vise. They began to crush and destroy their way in towards Drago's skyscraper, not even leaving a single one alive.
A new battalion of soldiers emerged, dragging a line of gatling guns, along with hundreds more of firearms.
"Form shield!" Dagur shouted.
Agents pushed their way through the front and slammed their shields, which were totally caked in dirt, and blood, with bullets lodged in the surface, on the ground.
The battalion fired their gatling guns and firearms, sending a rain of bullets flying through the air and towards the Alpha unit. Some of the agents were hit, falling to the ground in pain. Some were struck in the head, and killed on the spot. But most of the bullets were absorbed by the shields. They continued to march forward slowly, towards the battalion.
Once the gatling guns and firearms stopped, Dagur again shouted, "Shield break!"
And the unit broke the shield wall, and charged forward to the enemy battalion. They didn't stand a chance. The Alpha Unit cut and sliced their way through the battalion, and continued their march towards the skyscraper, while the Omega Unit were scattered across the fortress, picking them off group by groups.
Isla Guatamala, Drago's Fortress
21:46 P.M.
Mission Odin Status: Phase 2 Successful