Meanwhile in NYC~
The sounds of pneumatic compressors and electronic motors echoed all around the hangars, mechanics working in full throttle to maintain the mechas stationed near the walls. Everyone was in their own job and tasks for the inevitable events even if there was some peace now these days.
Everyone except one person.
His name was Henry Haddock, and he was standing near a table next to his assigned mecha while watching something in his monitor. The video files he was watching was about him and his dragon he bonded with, Amari, some time ago before they separated. Whenever he reached a certain part that he repeated, it made him smile warmly as he remembered the good times he spent with the furred fury. And...it also worried him a bit. Because they were separated and out of range for them to connect via the mindlink, he couldn't know for sure if his dragon was safe or in danger right at that moment. Henry and his friends have already gone though so much over the past few months, like trying to deal with the remaining hostile dragons or with some corrupt organizations that were starting to take interest in dragons other than battling them. All in order to protect both sides from harming each other any further. Luckily they did have some dragons on their side, as well as new allies like Kamikaze, Brandon, James, and some others. Though, it didn't quite make him feel one hundred percent calm because of all that was happening.
He was so focused on everything that he didn't hear someone shouting his name from afar.
"Henry! What are you doing? Get back to work! We still have a lot to do!" someone said, snapping Henry into reality. "Oh, right! Sorry about that!" he replied as he put pause to the video and went to get some tools. When he was about to climb onto the leg support of the mecha, something like a solid hand was placed on his shoulder. Henry turned around and met himself with one of his new friends that he made some time ago after the events.
"Hey man! How have you been?" the muscular guy who went by the name of Gryphon and was taking off his pilot helmet, greeted Henry with a smile. "What's up, Gryphon? Yeah, been doing great. What brings you here?" Henry asked as he turned around and shook Gryphon's mechanic prosthetic arm and hand.
"Just wanted to visit and see how you are doing. And I also wanted to thank you for helping me with the dragon training. I finally managed to pick my dragon after some consideration" Gryphon said. "Oh, really? That's awesome! Which one did you bond with?" Henry asked. Gryphon smiled and turned around to face where the doors of the hangar were before letting out a whistle. There was some heavy creaking footsteps coming from the roof of the hangar when a dragon head the color of morning sky poked into the hangar from above. Then the dragon moved and spread its wings to fly into the hangar and glide until it perched to a mecha nearest to Henry and Gryphon. Some people have shouts of surprise and ducked down, some of them ready to board their mechas to fight. But the dragon didn't lash out or attack, just perched on the mecha and looked down at the two with a toothy grin.
"Meet Sunflare" Gryphon said proudly as the dragon climbed down a bit closer to them. Sunflare gave a growl and a small roar in greeting to everyone. "Impressive. If I remember, that's a new rare type of dragon. A silver phantom. Or, a crimson phantom by the looks of it" Henry said as he admired the new dragon. "Yep! And now we are best friends. Thanks to the training you taught all of us at battle school, everyone is starting to get their own dragon partners. That's what I came here for. To thank you" Gryphon explained before pulling him into a tight hug. Henry yelped a bit as he felt that his body was being crushed by both the mechanical arm and the muscular one. "Right. You're...welcome..." he strained with a smile before he was freed from the clutch and nodded. Then he went back to work as he climbed the mecha leg to start the short inspection and repair.
"So...what have you been up to lately?" Gryphon asked as his dragon Sunflare leaped to the top of the mecha that Henry was attending and looked at him with curiosity. "Just small inspections and repairs, as me and my friends have been promoted to "dragon liaisons" position. Honestly, that title sounds a bit ridiculous, but its the closest to what I am doing to help out with the dragons" he said while he worked on the mecha leg mechanism and the connections.
"Sounds like a lot of responsibility placed on you" Gryphon observed from the ground. "Yep. It is. Didn't expect it to be this hard. Either ways, I don't regret it." Henry said with a sigh, but he was smiling as he remembered the moments that started to define him. Gryphon smiled and nodded as he saw Henry continue working. "Well, I'm off. I just wanted to say thanks for everything. I'll leave you to continue your work" Gryphon said as he started to go out of the hangar, Sunflare jumping from mecha to mecha to follow his partner. "Good luck with your new partner. Make sure you contact me if you need any help!" Henry called out to him, which he replied with a thumbs up. Afterwards Henry finished and slid back down to where his desk was.
He was surprised when he found that some spider tanks, three tachikoma types, were stationed next to his desk. One of the heads, a ball with a camera eye, was on the desk and watching the files Henry was watching some moments ago while detached from its spider tank body. ["Oh! Hi, Mr. Henry. Sorry to bother you by watching this. I was...curious"] the ball said in a child-aged voice. "No. It's ok. You can watch it" Henry said, recognizing it was one of the AI units that Dr. Elias, a friend of his, was helping develop for mecha support. Though he was relieved that the tachikomas' AIs weren't designed like cold tactical AIs and instead more like kids that were more curious about everything. As if they had young minds.
["May I ask you something, Mr. Henry?"] the ball AI, named Johnny, asked him. "Sure thing. What may that be?" Henry said as he moved next to the Tachikoma. ["Are dragons still dangerous? My other brother says all of them are. Or are they all like this one?"] the AI asked Henry. He smiled and nodded a bit. "Most of them don't know that us humans are smart just like them. We used to think the same thing of them. But a few of them are willing to be our friends. Just like my friend Amari" he said, pointing to the screen where the AI was watching. The optic lens on its mono eye widened a bit in wonder and curiosity. At least, that's what Henry thought it looked like.
["So.....does that mean that me, Peter and Bob can befriend them?"] Johnny asked him. Henry smiled and nodded. "Of course. You just have to find a dragon that is friendly. Just like Amari. Then you can be friends" Henry said to the AI. He looked up at him and rolled around while making excited beeping noises in agreement.
"Henry, my boy!" another familiar voice, that of his father Simon, called out to him from the other side.
"Oh. Hey dad. What brings you here?" Henry asked as he let Johnny continue watching as he faced his approaching father. "I came here to take you to a meeting. I know it's all of a sudden, but the superiors asked me to take you to them in person. It's confidential" he said. "Right. I'll be right there" Henry said to his father as he took off his mechanical vest and gloves off to accompany his father, leaving Johnny and the other tachikomas to watch his files.
As he left watching the three AIs, he was thinking about something concerning the hidden world and dragons. So, with all the courage, he faced his father again. "Um, dad. May I ask something before we go to the meeting?" Henry asked. "Certainly." his father said. "If there is a chance...could we both go to the hidden world? I could show you around and at the same time I can—" Henry said when his father interrupted him. "Absolutely not. It's not safe. On top of that, we are not authorized to do such thing during this situation." Simon said to him. "What about the patrol aircarriers? We can hitch a ride on them and...." Henry started when he noticed his father's face on serious mode. Henry sighed and looked down a bit in defeat.
"You're right. Sorry. I shouldn't be asking for more than I already did. After what you did for me." Henry said as he looked to the side. Simon unexpectedly placed a hand on his shoulder, which made Henry look up and notice his father smiling a bit. "I know you are trying to help convince me and some others that dragons can be our allies. Just not at this time. But be assured that now you have my full support when a solid chance arrives" his father said. His father's words made Henry smile and nod.
"Now let's go straight to the meeting." Simon said as he patted Henry's shoulder before letting go and leading him out of the hangar though a door.
As Henry went through the doorway, he turned around and saw the tachikomas watching him a bit. "Hey, when you guys are done, make sure to turn off my computer!" he called out to them. ["Okay! And can we download some of the videos?"] Johnny asked. "Sure thing!" Henry said before he left the hangar and closed the door.
YOU ARE READING
How To Train Your Dragon 4: Near Horizon
Fanfiction"There were dragons when I was a boy. Some say they crawled back into the sea leaving not a bone or a fang to remember them. Others say they were nothing but folk tales to begin with. But maybe one day, a time may come where the dragons will return...
