AN: I got bored at home and wrote more....... (Looks at the pile of research to still complete).... eh.... I'll get to that later.

Chapter 4

Hiccup sat on one of the retrofitted bus seats as the vehicles quickly made their way to safety. At the front of the bus was his father arguing with Spitelout but Hiccup couldn't hear what they were saying. The looks that his uncle shot him were anything but pleasant. The one thing Hiccup did manage to catch his father saying was "...... I'll deal with it."

The bus jolted as it went over a particularly rough patch and Hiccup pitched forward landing on Ruffnut's lap. "Hey, watch it Hiccup!" Ruffnut said she pushed him off of him.

"Sorry......" Hiccup mumbled while getting off the blonde as fast as he could. "Wait..... You called me Hiccup."

"Yeah so?" Ruffnut was still dismissive of him but Hiccup sensed that maybe something had changed a bit.

"You never call me Hiccup," He commented. "What happened to Useless?"

Ruffnut mumbled something under her breath before groaning and then saying "If you hadn't acted then Tuff would have died instead of just getting shot in the shoulder. So thank you, you aren't useless."

Hiccup's eyebrows shot up and then he asked "Is Tuffnut alright?" He glanced around but didn't see the other blonde.

"He got one of the other busses with Fishlegs." Ruffnut told him. "Fish is giving him first aid."

"Okay....I'm happy he's alri-" Hiccup was cut off by Ruffnut giving him a hug. The female twin then backed off just as fast as the hug came and said "I owe you one, and tell anybody I said thanks and I'll lather you with syrup and feathers."

"Gotcha!" Hiccup said lightning fast as the bumpy ride continued.

Hiccup's eyes were drooping by the time the bus stopped. He jerked forward and could luckily catch himself before he hit the floor. "We set up camp here for the night!" He heard his father's booming voice and that was followed by "Hiccup a word!!"

He scrambled up and with a resigned sigh he exited the vehicle to come face to face with a very displeased Stoick. "Yeah dad?" Hiccup said.

"Hiccup you're to stay within the camp at all times. You'll do your job and then report to Spitelout for other tasks." Stoick told him. "I don't want you out of sight."

"WHAT!" Hiccup shouted causing several heads to turn their way. Stoick's glare had them turning their heads right back though. "Why?!" He asked. He'd never been restricted before. He'd normally take a short walk to unwind or rest but if he has to stay within the camp itself he'd be constantly subjected to Snotlout and his comments. Cousin or not, Hiccup was sure he'd go stir crazy at some point.

"You heard me Hiccup. I don't know what you've been doing in your spare time but I expressly forbade you to experiment. Furthermore you disregarded my orders and put yourself in danger."

"Wait, that's it?!" Hiccup shouted. "My flash bombs saved us back there!" He argued. "So what if I've been tinkering, I never hurt anyone."

"Never hu-" Stoick let out a disbelieving huff here. "Have you forgotten you set our silo on fire?!" And of course that incident came up which caused Hiccup to roll his eyes.

"Dad... how many times must I tell you. That wasn't my fault!" Hiccup grumbled. "You just don't believe me."

"Hiccup......" Stoick sounded resigned. "You just got to stop being all that."

"You just pointed to all of me," Hiccup stated and looked quite hurt.

"Hiccup, just... uhm... just go do something," Stoick sighed not wanting to have this conversation.

Stoick then proceeded to turn his back on Hiccup, not even noticing how hurt he was about the comment. Hiccup clenched his fists and then turned around himself, marching back to the bus to get some things.

"Hiccup?" Ruffnut, who was still on the bus, mumbled. "Everything alright?"

"Just peachy," Hiccup grumbled before grabbing his knapsack with some supplies and heading back out.

"Where are you going?" Ruffnut asked with worry on her face.

"Out!" Hiccup didn't mean to snap at her but too many emotions were running wild right now. He stepped out of the bus and then slipped past the adults. Being invisible was the only thing in this camp he had going for him, he might as well use it. Hiccup managed to get to one of the unguarded ATVs and he easily got it to work. Revving the engine he set out and away from the camp and his father.

The vehicles had set up camp near a river that the scouting party had encountered that evening. The river was well away from the city ruins and they were hidden by a natural rock formation. Hiccup rode the ATV further upstream along the bank of the river and sighed. He knew he actually shouldn't have left the camp so close to a raid but he just couldn't stay there. The headlights and moonlight illuminated Hiccup's way as he rode further and further from the camp. The stars twinkling above him were showing off the same constellations that had been there for centuries. Hiccup knew what starlight actually was. A window into the past. Light that had traveled for millions of lightyears. For all he knew the stars they were coming from didn't exist anymore. Unchanging in the eyes of man but everchanging in the universe itself. Hiccup shook himself out of his thoughts and noticed that the riverbank was getting smaller. The river made a bend in the large sandstones deposited there millions of years ago and the bank started getting smaller and steeper. Hiccup revved the ATV and drove upwards. When he was at the top he could see the steep canyon the river had cut for itself into the landscape.

"Wow," Hiccup breathed as he looked at the moonlit river before him. Nature had always fascinated him and he often wondered if the Earth could restore itself if humans weren't around.

"Probably going to find out soon," Hiccup mumbled as he drove along the canyon. Humanity was but a drop of water in the history of the Earth so nothing was impossible. With the Midas drug's effects making itself known throughout the generations it was only a matter of time before all humans were snuffed from the Earth. Hiccup had heard stories about people unaffected by the Midas drug going into space but communications with them was cut off years before. He idly wondered if they had found a cure. Surely they would come back and help their own race if they did. Some of the last dregs of humanity were probably in that caravan but Hiccup just wasn't ready to go back. What did he really have there except for an uncaring father and those that treated him like he was dirt. The only person he missed at the moment was Gobber, his Godfather and more of a father to him than Stoick had ever been.

Hiccup was mostly driving on automatic until something caught his attention. He felt that the road wasn't so bumpy anymore, in fact it was quite smooth. Hiccup stopped and then grabbed a flashlight out of his backpack before turning it on. His eyes widened as he saw the asphalt road he now traveled on. Man Made places in this day and age could be either good or bad. Good because there might be supplies, bad because you could be caught by raiders. Hiccup had never heard what happened to people caught by the desert raiders, there just weren't any stories to tell since no one came back. Many just assumed they died or worse, had gotten eaten. With a gulp Hiccup looked back towards the general direction of the camp and then towards the darkness ahead. He could either set forward and discover where this road took him or........ He could head back to camp and face the wrath of his father.

Hiccup let out a huff. He was still mad at Stoick for literally treating him like a baby and putting him on a leash. Nothing he said would matter once the man made up his mind. Most conversations with his father were pretty one-sided and Hiccup just stood there as he made decisions affecting his future. The decision then seemed to be cut and dry for Hiccup's mind at least. He'd rather set into the unknown for now then let someone else dictate his life. The taste of freedom was addictive even if it may lead to him being eaten. With that in mind Hiccup set out towards where the road would take him.

Meanwhile back in the camp, Ruffnut had actually gotten worried about Hiccup's state of mind. She exited the bus after Hiccup left and heard the sound of a faint engine. It took her a couple of minutes of looking around the camp to realize Hiccup had actually left. Ruffnut then made her way to one of the other vehicles. Inside where the other teens. Tuffnut had a bandage over his shoulder and his arm was in a makeshift sling. "Hi sis, what's up?"

"I'm worried about Hiccup. I think he left camp. One of the ATVs is missing." Ruffnut said and Snotlout who was in the back barked a laugh. "You're worried about Useless? Give me a break."

"Snotlout, he's your cousin. Could you actually care?" Ruffnut said.

"What's with all this new found worry?" Snotlout asked as he got up. "It's not like Useless will be missed."

"Listen here, you gnat!" Ruffnut's voice got colder. "Hiccup saved my brother. I owe him one! So excuse me for being concerned when he practically stormed out of the bus with his things. He's your cousin. You're family! You should be more concerned than me!"

"But..... what could cause Hiccup to leave so suddenly?" Fishlegs asked.

"I don't know but his mood changed after he talked to the Chief," Ruffnut stated.

"So what do you want us to do, huh?" Snotlout said as he crossed his arms. "So what if Useless left? It's not like we can track him down."

"We actually can," Fishlegs spoke up causing the others to stare at him.