Choices Define

Rated: M

Pairing: Hanson/Aubree

Author: Nightstar Fury

Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD movies, shorts, or series. Also, don't own any songs I might use. Everything belongs to its original creator.

Character&Dragon List:

Lieutenant Colonel: Hanson Hiccup Haddock(Hiccup)-Owner of Toothless the Night Fury
Hazel Hope Haddock: Daughter of Caylee Bog and Hanson Haddock-Owner of Sunset the Terrible Terror
Caleb Hiccup Bog: Son of Caylee Bog-Owner of Fireball the Terrible Terror
First Lieutenant: Caylee Bog(Camicazi)-Owner of Acida the Changewing
Chief of Police: Steven Haddock(Stoick)-Owner of Skullcrusher the Rumblehorn
Sergeant 1st Class: Aubree Hofferson(Astrid)-Owner of Stormfly the Deadly Nadder
Private 1st Class: Heather Bazerk(Heather)-Owner of Windshear the Razorwhip
Private: Dustin Bazerk(Dagur)-Owner of Shattermaster the Gronckle
Private 1st Class: Franklin Ingerman(Fishlegs)-Owner of Meatlug the Gronckle
Private: Raelyn Thorston(Ruffnut)-Owner of Barf the right head of a Hideous Zippleback
Private: Taylor Thorston(Tuffnut)-Owner of Belch the left head of a Hideous Zippleback
Private: Sawyer Jorgenson(Snotlout)-Owner of Hookfang the Monstrous Nightmare
Private: Grant Larsen(Gustav)-Owner of Fanghook the Monstrous Nightmare
2nd Lieutenant: Thatcher Hedsen(Thuggary)-Owner of Thornado the Thunderdrum
Specialist: Eli Trapp(Eret)-Owner of Wavewing the Thunderdrum
Master Sergeant: Vincent Grimborn(Viggo)-Owner of Smoke the left head of a Hideous Zippleback
Staff Sergeant: Ricky Grimborn(Ryker)-Owner of Spark the right head of a Hideous Zippleback
Private 1st Class: Sylvia Ostbarg(OC)-Owner of Blazeburn the Monstrous Nightmare
Specialist: Ella Solveig(OC)-Owner of Silverfire the Razorwhip
Major: Gregory Belmore(Gobber)-Owner of Grump the Hotburple
Sergeant Major of the Army: Aiden Trecher(Alvin)-Owner of Dewdrop the Raincutter

1; Found

A young male with auburn hair and emerald green eyes sat at his desk while going over a few documents and files. Beside him laying down on a large slab of heated rock was his faithful Night Fury dragon. At the front of the desk and door showed the name; Lieutenant Colonel Hanson H. Haddock. Hanson gave a drawn out sigh as he placed the papers down next to his laptop, with his elbows propped up on the desk, he now held his head in frustration. A headache he had for the last two hours was slowly turning into a migraine and he already took two maximum strength aspirins to deal with it however, it wasn't working as well as he had hoped. His all black dragon with some lighter patches of dark gray and green eyes lifted its head up to look at him and give a croon.

"Yeah, I'm okay, bud," Hanson replied as he offered a smile and leaned over to rub the top of his friend's head. The dragon tilted his head a bit as if to ask 'are you sure?'. It was their bond, understanding one another even though they didn't speak the same language but it was evident that his draconic friend understood him and could respond with head nods or noises depending on the situation. Hanson glanced over his desk to the phone on the right, a mobile phone and radio lying beside it. Slightly off to the right side of the desk sat a lamp and his laptop. In front of him was riddled with papers he had to go over and honestly didn't want to. Under the lamp was a few photographs, they always brought a smile to his face.

They were pictures of his life when he was younger, back then he was carefree and had a small group of friends up until he was fifteen when he made a decision to change everything because he wanted more and the opportunities were endless. Aside from the pictures of Hanson with people close to him, there was one of the people he used to be friends with. His friends that he had met in the sixth grade, people he lost contact with when he made his choice to join the military after bonding with his Night Fury friend who he called, Toothless. Hanson lifted the picture and looked at it; it seemed like forever since he had seen them when in truth, it had only been eight years. The last time he saw them he was fourteen years old, and it was a month into freshman year of high school being October in the year 2008, now he was twenty-three and living on a military base.

"Times were simpler back then, weren't they, Toothless?" Hanson stated softly as he took a glance at each of his five friends. "I wonder what all of them are up to these days," he added before placing the picture back in its place and sighing, he had to finish going over all this before the day was over and then he was eating dinner, catching a shower, and going to sleep early. However, just as he was about to start again, three knocks were heard as Hanson towards the door to his office. "Come in," he said. The door opened to reveal a man standing with his legs together, one arm at his side, and the other in a salute while wearing a green, tan, and brown camouflage patterned uniform before Hanson. "At ease, soldier. What can I do for you?"

"This just faxed in from the Berk recruitment office, it must have come to our section by accident, but it's for you according to the cover page, sir," the soldier said to Hanson who held out his hand out, and the male handed it over,

"Appears that a minuscule group are leaving for Reception Battalion at Fort Doragon and will be moving forward to this base for their training. Two from Berserker Island, one from Hysteria, and seven from Berk," the man added. Hanson glanced over the page now before placing it down and looking to the soldier.

"Thank you, Corporal. You can go now," Hanson dismissed him, the soldier then saluted before turning and leaving the office while closing the door behind him. Hanson looked at the fax again, so recruits from Berserker Island and Hysteria Isle were being sent to Berk because the bases didn't have room or trainers to take them.

All together with the Berk recruits, there would be ten coming to his base in a weeks time for military training. Hanson now had to find a place for them and a Drill Sergeant who could take ten more to train. The most interesting part of the entire letter was that he knew six of the recruits that were coming, they were old friends of his. Wouldn't this be fun for them to see him after eight years since he vanished without a trace when he joined up after meeting Toothless? Because he wasn't stressed enough as it was, and the headache he had just turned into a full on migraine. Such was his job of being Lieutenant Colonel and the commanding officer of Fort Riddari military base.

(A Week Later-Fort Doragon)

It had been a very long few weeks for the group of six friends who all joined the military together, and even made four new friends during the last four days at Reception Battalion where they set up their military records, got their uniforms, learned to work on a schedule, got their pictures taken, and received their dog tags. The four they met were from other islands: two from Berserker Island, a brother/sister pair, then a lone girl from Hysteria Isle. Now the ten of them were on a bus heading to Fort Riddari for their Basic, Advanced, and Dragon training.

A few of them bonded on their own which led to the decisions to join because the military offered the best dragon training around, others hadn't bonded but would get the chance to do so after Basic and Advanced were over. With them loaded up, a man in uniform came aboard to do roll call.

"Listen up for your name, you hear it and raise your hand. Aubree Hofferson, Heather Bazerk, Raelyn Thorston, Sylvia Ostbarg?" The four girls put their hands up slowly. "Franklin Ingerman, Eli Trapp, Sawyer Jorgenson, Grant Larsen, Taylor Thorston, Dustin Bazerk?" the six males raised their hands silently. "Good. Then we're on our way to Fort Riddari, I've not received word on who your Drill Sergeant will be yet but told it would be decided when you arrive," the soldier said.

The man sat down, and the bus doors closed as they were off for the hour ride to the military base where they would be living for the next few months. Basic was nine weeks, their Advanced would be at least five, and Dragon Training wasn't given a select time frame. They were told that it depended on how much they knew and how well they did.

"You're silent, Aubree, are you okay?" asked Heather, a twenty-three-year-old female with dark brown hair and green eyes. Younger sister to Dustin who had red hair and green eyes.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about an old friend we haven't heard from in years," Aubree smiled a little, she had bright blond hair and blue eyes.

"Oh, you mean Hanson? It's been what, eight years now since we've seen him?" Franklin, a full figured male with short blond hair and green eyes questioned.

"Face it, Aubs, we're never gonna see him again. He bailed a month into freshman year, and no one has seen hide or hair of him since, not even his father who is chief of Berk police department. Thor knows you have a serious crush on Hanson Haddock and you have since the seventh grade," Raelyn sighed, she had pale blonde hair and blue eyes, and she was a twin to Taylor. If it weren't for Raelyn's braids, they honestly couldn't be told apart.

"I think his Dad knows where he is. Come on; there's no way that Hanson at fifteen could have just left without someone noticing. His father would have had the entire department looking for him, and when we asked about it, his father just stayed calm and said Hanson left on his own. I'm sticking to my theory and saying that Steven Haddock knows where Hanson is and won't tell." Aubree huffed.

"Whatever you say, girl," Raelyn shrugged while Aubree closed her eyes and tried to relax. It had been a long time, and she missed him terribly. Aubree pulled her thoughts from Hanson while going back and remembering how she got to where she was right now on a military bus to Fort Riddari. Aubree had always loved the military and told herself she would join after high school but then her mother got sick and that took up a lot of her time. Just a year ago, her mother passed away but not before telling Aubree to follow her dreams. That's why she joined the Berkian Military a month ago, but she never understood why the others had done the same.

Sawyer, a male with brown hair and blue eyes joined because his father had been military and wanted him to follow in his footsteps. Grant was a mini-Sawyer and did everything he did to be just like him. Franklin had bonded with a female Gronckle that he named Meatlug and one of the best dragon training programs happened to be within the Berkian Military. As for Raelyn and Taylor, Aubree hadn't a clue what made them join. Her theory was because they wanted to have dragons and in the military, that was possible to happen. Aubree also didn't know why Heather, Dustin, Eli, and Sylvia had joined either, all she knew was that Eli was from Berk and had attended a private school and the others were from different islands.

Heather and Dustin mentioned bonding with dragons so Aubree felt that might have something to do with their joining, but Sylvia on the other hand, she had no idea and didn't care really. Right now, she just wanted to get to Fort Riddari, eat, and get some sleep. Reception Battalion had been hard, and they all needed to take is easy for a day but warned that wouldn't happen when they began their actual training. Aubree put her head on the rest and closed her eyes, in about forty-five minutes they would be arriving.

(Fort Riddari)

Hanson checked with all of his Drill Sergeants, and none of them had room to take ten more, or they were already too far into training to add more and get them caught up fast. This made things complicated for him, but nevertheless, he figured it out when he received word that the bus carrying the ten recruits would be arriving in ten minutes.

"I guess I'll have to train them. What joy for me. Up for a fly, Toothless?" Hanson asked as his dragon instantly stood and rushed over. Hanson laughed a little as he pulled out his mask and slid it on before getting on Toothless's back while they took to the sky with a roar. Nothing beat being up in the air, the feeling of flying so high and fast was indescribable.

(Ten Minutes Later)

The bus pulled up as they were ordered off in an orderly fashion. Standing before them was a man wearing a black, brown, and green uniform. The male had black hair and brown eyes while he stood at parade rest, eyeing them over. "So these are the new recruits?" he finally asked.

"Yes, Lieutenant Hedsen." the soldier from the bus saluted him.

"Thank you. As you were," Lieutenant Hedsen ordered, the soldier hurried off leaving the recruits. "Welcome to Fort Riddari military base, recruits. Your home for the next few months of training and then, not sure where you will be placed afterward. That is up to the base leader," he began. "I am Lieutenant Thatcher Hedsen, second highest rank at this base and second in command to the Lieutenant Colonel, base leader. Any questions?"

"Just one," Dustin put a finger up as Thatcher nodded to him, "Are you...are Drill Sergeant. They told us on the bus that one hadn't been picked yet," he asked.

"Unfortunately, all the Drill Sergeants are occupied with other groups that are much farther along in training, or they don't have the room in their barrack for more recruits. The base leader has taken it upon himself to train you; he'll be here soon. He's just off flying on his dragon," Thatcher chuckled a little looking up as the recruits did as well to see a Night Fury soaring through the sky doing a series of rolls and loop-de-loops with a man dressed in a black and gray uniform wearing a mask over his face.

"Holy...Odin! Is that a Night Fury?!" Franklin squealed excitedly.

"Sure is. Only one found in about fifty years and belongs to the Lieutenant Colonel." Thatcher smiled.

"When do...we get to see our dragons?" Heather asked nervously.

"Soon. They arrived ahead of you and are in the stables; the Lieutenant Colonel will explain everything. Here he comes now," Thatcher informed as the Night Fury came in for a landing and the man on his back climbed off then rubbed his dragon's head.

"Nice flying, bud." the man said as the dragon crooned in response, it was now that he looked towards them. Hanson took a deep breath; he was going to be training them so he couldn't very well hide who he was.

"Lieutenant Colonel, these are the ten recruits for you. Should I take them to the barrack by your office?" Thatcher offered a firm salute.

"I'll take it from here, Lieutenant Hedsen, thank you. Why not round up the Grimborn brothers and have them meet you there? We'll be along soon," Hanson suggested.

"Aye, aye sir." Thatcher smiled and headed off.

"I'm sure Thatch gave a welcome to the base words already so that I won't repeat them. Due to the circumstances of limited space in barracks or Drill Sergeants, I will be training you the next few months." Hanson greeted them while standing at parade rest with his feet shoulder width apart and hands behind his back. He grinned beneath his mask, it was great to see his old friends again, they looked so different, but he guessed that eight years would do that to a person. "I'll be honest, it's awesome to see some of you again," he added and saw their confused faces. Hanson placed his hands on the mask and pulled it off then tucked it under his arm.

The shock washed over Aubree, Franklin, Grant, Sawyer, Taylor, and Raelyn as they saw the man standing before them. "HANSON!?" they shouted all at once as Hanson chuckled a little.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Hanson smiled to them.