TGS'verse

Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Exodus

A/N: Okay, it's now official that my friend is an expert ghostwriter.

No flames in the comments or I'll report you all to said friend ;)

Not that there is any risk of flames from you fine people.

Enjoy this bonus chapter folks.

...

"How you doing back there, Fishlegs?" Eret asked as the beaten-up car the trio had commandeered drove along the dusty track.

"I have a cut just below my stomach; how do you think I'm doing?" the man in question snapped back with a hint of irritation.

"That strip from your shirt should help till we get back to base," Hiccup reminded with a glance at the concealed area. "So quit whining. The worst is behind us."

"I wouldn't say that," Fishlegs muttered, his face losing colour as certain recent memories crossed his mind, no doubt. "This won't be a story to share at a campfire at any rate."

"That's true, but I'm sure there'll be a girl we can find you who digs scars," joked Eret, looking back and making the car swerve to the left as he was momentarily distracted, much to the ire of the driver in the oncoming car who expressed his feelings with his horn.

"Eyes on the road, Eret. Let's not crash or get blown up again," Hiccup instructed as the man swore under his breath at the other driver.

"I second this," Fishlegs whined.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it," the soldier groused with a sigh.

...

If the trio had been hoping for some downtime at the nearest base they could find, they were sorely mistaken. Crowded was the word to use when describing the place; even just driving into it felt like one was in the middle of a parade.

There was lots of noise, men talking exceedingly loudly about military escapades, or of their lives back home and away from said base, which only had the eyes of the trio in the car searching for a place to make their spot. (Perhaps one that wasn't so loud either, not that there was any way to truly escape the noise).

Finally, the vehicle squeaked to a stop at a far-back corner of the grounds they'd driven on. Not one of the men inside the car could believe it had made the journey all the way to base without breaking down.

Hiccup was the first to jump out of the car, then Eret, and finally Fishlegs, with some help from the former two. Eret was kind enough to keep Fishlegs' arm around his shoulder, balancing the injured man else he'd fall.

"Didn't expect there'd be this many people. I know it's a shared military base, but isn't this a bit much?" Hiccup asked, catching sight of two men toasting a drink in the distance.

"Can I please sit down now?" Fishlegs grumbled.

"I thought Hiccup told you to quit your whining, and besides..." Eret trailed off, his head following the strut of once such tall and burly man past them. "...Why would you want to when you could be making friends?"

Somehow the word 'friends' meant something different to Eret than it did to Hiccup and Fishlegs.

"Regardless, we're already in a perfect spot. Let's just stay here for the time being." Hiccup reasoned.

Haddock led the group in picking a spot on the ground to sit, not so far away from the car. Fishlegs went to ease himself to a seat on the ground, but the look in his eyes begged Eret for help. So, Eret did what any sensible person would do and dropped the injured man to the ground in a heap, slumping his back against the car for comfort.