Chapter One

"High rise, veins of the avenue, Bright eyes and subtle variations of blue Everywhere is balanced there like a rainbow above you, Street lights glisten on the boulevard And cold nights make staying alert so hard, For heaven's sake, keep me awake so I won't be caught off guard Clearly I am a passerby but I'll find a place to stay, Dear pacific day, won't you take me away..."

Music blasted from her iPod speaker as she began unpacking the boxes in her apartment. Life had worked in mysterious ways, as far as Alex was concerned. She never would have thought that at twenty-one, she would be offered a job at the Triskelion in Washington D.C..

It was Alexander Pierce who had asked her to work for SHIELD as a liaison of sorts. When she pictured her life five years ago, she never would have found herself in the position she had, now. Not for the first time, Alex was reminded of how much her life had changed for the better.

Nearly five years ago, she met a dragon known as Snowfire. Snowfire had changed her life in ways she couldn't even imagine by opening her mind, and her world. It was through Snowfire that she had met a group of young Vikings who were known as Dragon Riders. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to become friends with these people, or, help them find a way back to the world where they came from. Their home happened to be Berk, a place in the past where Vikings once fought with dragons, constantly.

A young Viking known as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III had discovered there was a way to bring peace between dragons and humans, through befriending a Night Fury named Toothless. While he hadn't known it at the time, Hiccup was the first Rider that Alex met and rescued from the hands of SHIELD. Neither of them were prepared for the adventures that had followed. Alex couldn't have imagined that Hiccup would become more than just a friend, to her.

"Small town hearts of the New Year, Brought down by gravity, crystal clear City fog and brave dialogue converge on the frontier, Make haste, I feel your heartbeat With new taste for speed, out on the street, Find a road to a humble abode where both of our routes meet The silver sound is all around and the colors fall like snow, The feeling of letting go, I guess we'll never know..."

Alex closed her eyes as she allowed the music from Owl City to float around her apartment space. So much had changed since they first met. She hadn't realized at the time that she'd changed since they first met. None of this would have happened had fate not played a hand in their lives.

She always liked to believe that in the end, things were meant to happen. In a few weeks, Hiccup was going to be her husband. The thought suddenly made her feel weak-kneed. She couldn't have imagined her life being any different, now. Alex suddenly realized in that span of time that things had indeed changed for the better.

The only downside was, because she had moved to this apartment that was courtesy of SHIELD, Snowfire couldn't necessarily be near her. It was a challenge they were both beginning to overcome. Snowfire lived on Berk with Hiccup and Toothless. She would still visit Berk constantly when she wasn't busy working her new job. Snowfire might not have been happy with these new arrangements, but, it was necessary to keep both the island of Berk safe, and the dragons safe.

Another arrangement they had made was that Steve would become her neighbor along the way. Not that Alex had minded, at the time. She saw Steve as more of a father-figure than anything else. He often stopped by when she wasn't on Berk, whether to have dinner with her or just to talk about the day's events. It was nice, having someone else other than her mother to talk with. Hiccup was her most frequent visitor, since he knew how to operate the portal that she'd kept in the cove. They would often spend evenings together either flying on their dragons or just talking. Anything to release the tension that was slowly building between work and everything else.

The problem was, Hiccup also happened to be Chief of Berk. That role had fallen upon his shoulders when his father was killed in the line of duty during Drago Bludvist's short reign of terror. It was difficult for Hiccup to leave Berk for any period of time. The village elders wanted to keep as many of Berk's traditions as possible. Not that Alex couldn't blame them. The last thing she wanted to do was bring knowledge from the modern world to the past and add to the worry they already felt towards their changing culture.

She was just about finished with her work when she heard a knock on the door. Alex peered over her shoulder before switching the music off and setting her iPod on the kitchen table. Only one person had the courtesy of knocking. Since she'd moved into this apartment about a week ago, she'd begun joining Steve on his morning jogs. It felt good being able to put in an extra burst of effort for her morning workouts. There was no denying that she'd been using these workouts as a way to release the stress she felt due to her new job and everything else.

"You up for a morning jog?" Steve asked when she opened the door.

"Need you ask?" she retorted, grinning as the Super Soldier shook his head in amusement.

She was already dressed for the occasion as she grabbed a bottle of water and joined him moments later at the park. The first rays of dawn light were just beginning to peak around the sky as they ran a few laps around the park already. Someone else was trying to keep up with them, gasping for breath as Steve continued saying 'on your left' when they passed them. By now, Alex was struggling not to laugh as the man in question made a noise of complaint around the third lap. The fact that he was trying to keep up with them was cute. Alex was grateful that she had been training since she moved to Washington.

Once they finally stopped, the man was leaning under a tree and gasping for air as he looked at them accusingly.

"Need a medic?" Steve asked teasingly when the man shook his head.

"I need a new set of lungs. Dude, you just ran like thirteen miles in ten minutes," he gasped out.

Steve just smirked at that.

"I guess I had a late start," Steve replied.

"Oh, really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should go take another lap," the man insisted, catching his breath before looking at them, "Did you just take it? I assume you took it," he added, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Alex only laughed at that, realizing he'd probably get along well with Hiccup. Sarcasm seemed to be Hiccup's favorite forte. He'd often used it whenever tensions were high among the villagers in an attempt to calm them down.

"What unit are you with?" Steve asked.

"Fifty-eighth para-rescue. But, now I'm workin' down at the VA," he explained before holding out a hand, "Sam Wilson," he introduced himself with a handshake.

"Steve Rogers," Steve introduced himself.

"Yeah, I kinda put that together," Sam replied, "Must have freaked you out, coming home after the whole defrosting thing."

She hadn't thought of what that must have been like for someone who was from the 1940s. Alex glanced at Steve thoughtfully when she noticed his facial expression hadn't changed. Sam's eyes fell on her when he finally noticed her for the first time.

It wasn't any crazier than meeting a Viking and eventually falling in love with him. She kept her mouth shut, though. Alex knew that bringing up Hiccup and the island of Berk would only raise unwanted questions she would have to answer. Besides, they were just beginning to get used to having Hiccup as their Chief, rather than Stoick.

"It takes some getting used to," Steve nodded in agreement, "It's good to meet you, Sam."

"It's your bed, right?" Sam asked when Steve turned to leave.

Alex rose an eyebrow in surprise at that.

Wasn't it a bit rude to just walk away from a friendly conversation? The guy clearly wasn't a threat. She would have sensed it, otherwise.

"What's that?"

"Your bed. It's too soft. When I was over there, I'd sleep on the ground and used rock for pillows like a caveman. Now, I'm home, lying on my bed, it's like…"

"Lying on a marshmallow. Feels like I'm going to sink right to the floor," Steve finished for him. Alex chewed the bottom of her lip when she realized he had a point. When she first started adjusting to sleeping on a bed in Berk, it had taken some getting used to. Now, she was so used to sleeping in Berk that sleeping on a regular bed made her feel uncomfortable. She understood what Sam and Steve were talking about. "How long?"

"Two tours," Sam shrugged in response, "You miss the good old days, don't you?"

Because hearing you talk about it in the Tower wasn't bad enough, Alex wanted to say as she realized where this was headed. She thought of shifting into a dragon right then and there just to cause a distraction. But, that would only raise Sam's suspicion. Besides, she wasn't in any hurry to give away her position. It had been enough of a struggle having to hide what she could do while out in public. Once she managed to learn how to control her abilities, she knew that revealing the truth would only end in disaster.

"Well, things aren't so bad," Steve began, smirking slightly when he caught the look she was giving him, "Food's a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful." No need to remind her. The Internet had saved her life in more ways than one, literally. She remembered having to rely on her phone for so long when helping Hiccup and his friends across the United States, "I've been reading that a lot trying to catch up."

"Marvin Gaye, 1972, "Trouble Man" soundtrack," Sam suggested with a smile of his own, "Everything you've missed jammed into one album."

Again, Alex almost laughed when she noticed Steve pulling out a little notebook with dozens of notes scribbled on the pages. He'd been writing down all of the things she and Tony had suggested he look up, along with Clint. Every now and then, Hiccup would do the same thing after realizing such knowledge would come in handy.

"This is my a… friend and neighbor, Alex," Steve added after gesturing to Alex for the first time.

Sam eyed her curiously when he noticed the ring on her finger when she crossed her arms.

"Thought she might've been your fiancé or something," he chuckled with a shake of his head.

That was enough for Steve's cheeks to turn a bright shade of red. By now, Alex couldn't hold back the fit of laughter that followed.

"He's more like a father to me," she explained after catching her breath, "No, my fiancé isn't exactly from around here."

"Uh-huh, so, where's he from?" Sam pressed, looking genuinely curious.

Alex shared a knowing look with Steve. Mentioning Berk wouldn't necessarily be a good thing. But, Sam didn't seem like the type of person who would go out of his way to find the island. Still, she wasn't going to trust him right away with that kind of knowledge.

"I'd rather not say it out loud," she admitted, shrugging it off when Steve's phone rang.

She glanced in Steve's direction as she caught the look in his eyes.

"Alright, Sam, duty calls," Steve told him. "Thanks for the run, if that's what you wanna call it."

Sam only smirked at that before laughing, "Oh, that's how it is," he started before Steve returned the gesture.

"Oh, that's how it is," he repeated.

"Okay. Any time you wanna stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know," Sam put in.

"So, we're both needed for the mission?" Alex asked, glancing at Steve as he gave a nod. "Good to know."

She'd already left a warning on the table in case Hiccup decided to stop by for a visit. She had been working late-night shifts lately. Not that she didn't mind it. In fact, she loved working alongside Steve and the STRIKE team that SHIELD had organized.

Because things had been going so smoothly across the world, the Avengers had decided to take a small break between living together in the Tower. Clint was off doing some top-secret work in who knew where. Natasha was working alongside Steve and Alex during some of their missions, and Thor had returned to Asgard to continue his work with Odin.

All-in-all, it was business as usual.

Alex watched as a black sports car pulled up to the curve where she and Steve were waiting. Sam stood not far away, watching them curiously.

"Hey, fellas. Either of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil," she joked, and Alex shook her head in amusement as she climbed into the back seat.

Some things never got old. Natasha's quips and jabs at Steve's age were one of them.

"That's hilarious," Steve replied flatly.

Sam peered through the window as Natasha eyed him curiously.

"How you doing?" he asked.

"Hey," she greeted him with a charming smile after pulling down her sunglasses.

Steve turned to Sam after opening the door.

"You can't run everywhere," he shrugged.

"No, you can't," Sam chuckled in agreement.

…

After making sure that Hiccup knew she wouldn't be around that evening, Alex had already changed into the suit she normally used while on missions. She knew she would likely get an earful for doing this. But, she'd accepted this job because it was just that – a job. Not only did she need the money if she wanted to continue visiting this world, but, she also wanted to help people. She was only just beginning to understand that maybe, just maybe she could do something good with the powers the serum had given her.

So, it was with that notion she'd agreed to join Steve's little STRIKE team and help out on whatever missions they took part in when they needed the backup. The whole team was gathered in the sleek quinjet as it headed for their latest destination. Alex was prepping herself as she listened to Agent Rumlow give the rundown on what was happening.

"The target is a mobile satellite launch platform: The Lemurian Star," Rumlow explained as Steve stood nearby, dressed in full uniform, "It was sending up their last payload when pirates took them, ninety-three minutes ago."

"Any demands?" Steve asked.

"A billion and a half," Rumlow replied.

"Why so steep?"

"Because it SHIELD's."

Rumlow's response didn't make sense to Alex. She chewed the bottom of her lip as she realized there was something else going on, here.

"So it's not off course, it's trespass," Steve muttered after turning to Natasha, voicing her thoughts.

"I'm sure they have a good reason," Natasha replied, glancing at Alex as if she expected her to speak up.

She was normally more vocal during these kind of missions. Something was eating at her, and the redhead already seemed to guess that.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of being Fury's janitor," Steve sighed in exasperation.

"Be glad you don't have to pick up after the mess the twins leave," Alex pointed out, shuddering as she recalled a mess Ruffnut and Tuffnut had left just a week ago.

They never ceased their constant need for pranks. And had been getting into all sorts of trouble with Hiccup as the new Chief. Steve seemed to think that through when he realized that cleaning up after Fury was probably a little easier than cleaning up after them.

"Relax, it's not all that complicated," Natasha put in with a knowing smirk, "I thought he put a leash on those two after their last incident?"

"This is Ruffnut and Tuffnut we're talking about, Nat," Alex reminded her, "Those two are more than likely to cause chaos wherever they go. Something tells me they won't be stopping, anytime soon."

She hadn't missed the fact that Rumlow or his men had been listening to them. Smirking at the prospect, she suspected they were trying to figure out who or what they were talking about. Natasha was probably Berk's most frequent visitor, aside from her mother and Steve.

"How many pirates?" Steve asked, ignoring their jibe at the twins.

"Twenty-five, top mercs, led by this guy. Georges Batroc," Rumlow replied. Alex quirked an eyebrow as she eyed the file warily, "Ex-TGSE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's "red notice". Before the French demobilized him, he had thirty-six kill missions. This guys got a rep for maximum casualties."

"Hostages?"

"Uh… mostly techs. One officer, Jasper Sitwell," Rumlow reported, "They're in the galley."

Both Alex and Steve frowned at the mention of Sitwell. The man shouldn't have been there unless it was for a good reason. She couldn't shake off the feeling this was more than just a clean-up mission.

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Steve muttered almost to himself, "Alright, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, you'll kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to life pods. get 'em out. Alex, stick with me. Let's go."

Alex nearly rolled her eyes at that, crossing her arms once more as she thought of where this was headed. She'd been training under Natasha and Clint for nearly four years, now. While she still had a lot to learn, she was stronger than he realized.

"STRIKE, you heard the Captain. Gear up!" Rumlow ordered.

"Secure channel seven."

"Channel seven secure." Natasha turned to Steve after saying that, a playful smirk written across her face. Alex already guessed where this was headed, and, she hoped that Natasha would leave her out of it, "You do anything fun Saturday night?"

"Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so… No, not really," Steve replied.

Alex tilted her head to one side, wondering where he was getting t with that. Okay, she had to ask about that quartet group, sometime. Something told her there was a great story involved round it.

"Coming up by the drop zone, Cap," Rumlow reported.

Alex glanced over her shoulder, smirking in amusement as she caught the look Natasha was giving Steve. Natasha had a way of making conversations between herself and anyone involved. Alex knew it was her way of keeping the situation light. Since there was tension among them, Alex found herself grateful for Natasha's sudden interference.

"You know, if you ask Kristen out, from Statistics, she'll probably say yes," she said, earning a look from the Super Soldier moments later.

"That's why I don't ask," Steve replied before preparing for the jump.

"Too shy, or too scared?" Natasha asked.

Before Natasha could pry open the hangar door, Alex grabbed onto a nearby railing and hung on for dear life. She was amazed that Steve wasn't afraid of jumping without a chute. His body could probably take more than a few hits before reaching the ground below. Alex, on the other hand, had another idea in up her sleeve.

"Too busy!" Steve shouted back before suddenly jumping down.

"What about you?" Natasha turned to Alex, the smirk never leaving as she rolled her eyes when a STRIKE agent had asked if Steve was using a chute.

"I'm not justifying that with an answer," she retorted before letting go of the rail.

No one moved to stop her as Alex began descending towards the ship. Within seconds, her body shifted from that of a human to a dragon. And, not just any dragon, but, a Night Fury. Her heart swelled with joy as she soared through the air, keeping an eye on the sky as Steve ordered before dropping to the deck.

It didn't take her long to send a few of the pirates flying in different directions. Growling as a couple of others came approaching, none of them were brave enough to reach her when Steve knocked them out. Alex couldn't hide the triumphant grin that followed when she shifted back into a human.

"Thanks," he nodded his thanks as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah, well, you looked pretty helpless back there," she rolled her eyes.

"What about the nurse that lives across the hall from you?" Natasha went on when she landed beside Alex in her parachute. "She seems kind of nice."

"Secure the engine room, then find me a date," Steve snapped.

"I'm multitasking."

…

"Since when has anyone's love interest been your forte?" Alex asked when they reached the main engine room after knocking out several more pirates.

Natasha slid her way down on a rope, while Alex managed to fly down and reach the bottom deck before her. Natasha just threw her a look that said it all.

"Since we learned you and Hiccup were engaged," she shrugged it off. Alex rose an eyebrow at that, before hacking away into the main security wall. Natasha had warned her ahead of time what this mission was really about. Gathering whatever intel they could on SHIELD and storing it into a file. "By the way, have you set a wedding date?"

"Not really," she muttered, looking around warily as she realized they were wasting valuable time, "I mean, I think we're still trying to wrap our heads over the fact that we're engaged… not to mention we haven't even discussed whether it'll be a traditional wedding on Berk, or here."

Natasha was ready to say something else when Steve's voice sounded through the com, "Natasha, Batroc's on the move. Circle back to Rumlow and protect the hostages." By now, Alex had gotten so used to ignoring whatever voices were in her head that it became second-nature. "Natasha!"

Before either of them could get a word in their defense, glass suddenly shattered around them, covering the floor where Alex had been standing minutes ago. Her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Batroc, before Steve jumped into the room and glared at the both of them.

Don't look at me, Alex wanted to say out loud, knowing that wouldn't get her anywhere. She was just following orders, as far as she was concerned.

"Well, this is awkward," Natasha quipped while keeping her eyes on the keyboard and computer screen.

'What are you doing?" Steve demanded once he picked up his shield.

"Backing up the hard drive. It's a good habit to get into," Natasha replied without missing a beat.

"Rumlow needed your help. What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped after reaching them, shooting Alex an accusing glare. The last thing she wanted was to get involved with whatever was going on between them. Though, something told her she would be dragged in no matter what. "You're saving SHIELD Intel," he breathed out after realizing the real reason behind them being there.

"Whatever intel we can get our hands on," Alex spoke up this time, "SHIELD's been keeping files on all of the dragons that were spotted in this world."

"Our mission was to rescue the hostages," Steve retorted, looking more than frustrated with their lack of cooperation.

"No. That was your mission," Natasha corrected him before pulling out the flash drive, "And you did it beautifully."

She was ready to turn and leave when Steve caught her by the arm. Alex's gaze swept over to Batroc when she noticed that he hadn't been knocked out cold. At least, not completely. Neither Natasha nor Steve were listening when Alex realized too late that Batroc was slowly stirring.

Just as the pair started arguing, Batroc suddenly threw a grenade in their direction. Steve managed to deflect it before the grenade could hit them, but not before it exploded in the air. Natasha jumped out of the way just in time, while Alex shifted back into a dragon and used her wings for protection.

"Okay, that one's on me," Natasha groaned when the smoke cleared.

Growling in annoyance, Alex shifted back into her human form and shot them both a cold look.

"You're damn right," Steve muttered crossly.

Lyrics come from the song Rainbow Veins by Owl City

AN: I originally wasn't going to post this sequel until I had up to ten chapters written up, but, I'm already at chapter five, so I figured I could just as easily catch up with them. I'll try and post one chapter every other week, or once a week depending on how much time I've got on my hands. The title of this story is based off of Imagine Dragon's newest song, 'Thunder'. Yes, I have heard their amazing new album :D It was worth the wait! I am also opening up with The Winter Soldier, so I may or may not involve Guardians of the Galaxy later on, along with Age of Ultron, depending on how far this goes. Anywho, I'll be responding to reviews from the last chapter in the previous story...

Sil - Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much. It was definitely a challenging story to write, even though it kind of wrote itself XD Yeah, Hiccup finally popped the question. Now, it's just a matter of figuring out when they'll finally get married.

Scout107 - XD I hope you didn't break your phone in the process. I don't wanna be responsible for any accidents :P And I'm glad that you liked my OC... I was worried about it being a bit unrealistic, but, I figured I might as well wing and see where it goes. Hopefully, the sequel will live up to the original, because I've got big plans for it :)

Retrokill - I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much! I do love adding a bit of romance into any story, especially with happy endings :)

Dragondancer81 - Alas, the original is over. But, I've opened up the sequel. I am glad that you enjoyed it, and hopefully you'll enjoy the sequel just as much :)

One last note: I did decide to switch to third-person point of view, for multiple reasons. I find switching between points of views from first-person to third is a bit tedious, and I wanted to change things up a bit. So, I hope readers don't mind the sudden change.