when you should be writing a million other stories but you're not because you have a prompt and whatever
really proud of this one though.
by the way, I have literally no idea when the first lock was invented; I had several sources and they all told me different things. welp. but in a few episodes of Race to the Edge, there were locks, so...
enjoy the whump(physical and emotional today, yay!) in a story that nobody asked for, people.
P.S. all that went through my mind when writing was that song by JINCO, Breathe.
P.P.S. researched for ages on how to pick a lock lol
IT'S GETTIN' HARD TO BREEEEEEEEEEEATHEEEEEEE
OOH
"We should get out of here," Hiccup whispered. Astrid covered her nose to avoid the fumes. "Ya think?"
"Yeah, actually, I do think."
"Okay- then hurry! It's getting quite hard to breathe in here..."
"I do know this, milady."
Snotlout coughed. "If you two lovebirds would hurry up and Hiccup would pick that lock, I'd like to get my dragon back, please."
Astrid glared at him. "That is what I just said, Snotlout. It's practically your fault we're in this mess in the first place, so maybe you could be slightly considerate here?"
As the two started bickering and arguing, Hiccup internally groaned. "Guys, could you stop? This isn't exactly easy- oh!- ah, no. Never mind."
"Hurry!"
"Leave him alone, idiot. This is a high-security lock- or at least I think it is- Hiccup! Is this a high-security lock?"
It had all started with a mission. Just a quick rescue mission to free as many dragons as they could before Hiccup decided that they were in too much danger and needed to get out of there. Unfortunately, Hiccup's knack for realising the gang was in imminent danger had failed him this time: now there was a fire that had somehow been started, by the Hunters, the Riders, or a passing dragon, nobody knew. Hookfang was trapped in a room with a locked metal door(Snotlout's fault) that they did not have the key for, and Fishlegs, Heather, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and their dragons were Thor knows where. Toothless and Stormfly's whereabouts were also unknown for the moment.
It was complicated.
It also meant that they had no way off the ship until either the others came back, or they unlocked the door.
"Hiccup! Would you hurry up!" Snotlout snapped in a shout-whisper.
"Yep yep yep, working on it- oh, no."
The rather thin twig that Hiccup had been using to try and pick the lock had snapped- leaving half of it inside the lock. "Oh no, no, no... Snotlout, I- oh no. Guys, I'm so sorry..." Hiccup's voice shook as he said this, and Snotlout frowned. That couldn't be good.
"What?! WHAT?!" he almost shouted.
"Hiccup, what happened?" Astrid asked as she saw her boyfriend's posture crumble and his attitude deflate. "Hiccup?"
He gestured towards the broken twig in despair, and Astrid cringed. "Oh no indeed..."
Snotlout scowled. "Great. So we're here on this Hunter ship, with no way of getting off of it as your two stupid dragons may as well have flown off the edge of the world for all we know and my dragon's trapped inside that room, and Hiccup's stuffed the lock. So now what?"
Hiccup broke into a coughing fit. "I don't- know- oh gods. I can't- breathe. Guys- cover your mouths and- noses- with your shirts if- you can-"
And just like that, Hiccup collapsed onto the ground.
"Hiccup!" Astrid cried, and knelt down to check his pulse. After establishing a weak but existing heartbeat, she looked back up at Snotlout, who was following his cousin's advice and covering his mouth and nose with his shirt while staring at Hiccup in alarm. "This isn't just smoke, Snotlout. This is something way worse, and way more dangerous, and... we need to get out of here. Snotlout, could you work on the lock? I need to make sure Hiccup's stable, and then I'll help you. Here-" she handed him two small metal pins. "I can't believe I forgot I had these. Atali gave me hairpins; they bent. Get the wood out of the lock, and then just- well- do you know how to pick a lock?"
Snotlout nodded, still looking at Hiccup fearfully. "Yeah... yeah. Um, well... no. Who do you think I am- Hiccup?"
Astrid glowered at him- and then stopped. "That's it. Snotlout; you're a- genius! Well, not- really, but... oh Thor. It really is hard to- breathe. Well... we need to wake Hiccup up. You don't know- how to- pick a lock- and neither do- I. So, if Hiccup- tells us what- to do... we can get out- of here."
"I know. I'm a genius. Wait... what?" came Snotlout's muffled voice from underneath his shirt. Astrid followed his example, and tore off a considerably large strip of her shirt, tying it loosely around her mouth and nose. When Snotlout gave her a confused look, she glared at him, tying another strip around Hiccup's face. "No way I'm pulling my shirt up in front of you."
"Hey!"
"What? You should respect my privacy and my personal space. Anyway- get that stick out of the lock. I'll try and wake Hiccup up."
Around an hour or so later, Astrid was still trying to rouse him. "Hiccup!" she half-whispered urgently. "C'mon... c'mon..." She shook him gently but firmly for what seemed like the thousandth time that day... but to no avail.
Astrid was nearly ready to give up at this point.
"I've got it! I've gotten the stick out of the lock!" called Snotlout suddenly and loudly.
"Shut up!" Astrid hissed back. "There could be a Hunter walking by right now. And then they could catch us, and with Hiccup in this state, that would not be good. Well, at least you've got the lock fixed up... now I just have to wake Hiccup up. Hiccup! Come on... Hiccup! Oh, thank Thor!"
Hiccup opened his eyes and looked around blearily. "A- Astrid? Where... what..." Astrid pressed her index finger to his lips, forcing him to be silent. "Shh. Do you- do you feel dizzy at all?"
Hiccup nodded. "Everything's spinning..."
"Well then... that's not good. Okay. I need you to tell us how to pick a lock, alright?"
Twenty minutes had passed, and Snotlout was getting nearer and nearer to his goal. "Okay, now what, Hiccup?"
"Just... don't eat... the Rumblehorns..." Hiccup was mumbling incoherently by this point and they could no longer get any straight answers out of him. His eyes closed slowly, and Astrid's body immediately tensed.
"Hiccup, don't fall asleep," she said sharply, nudging him. "You need to stay awake, okay? We don't know what happened to you, and if you pass out again, who knows what that might result in. What's the next step?"
Hiccup opened his eyes again and groaned, seemingly pulling himself together. "Push... the lockpick into... the top, and... jiggle it around... a bit. Then get your tension wrench and put it on... the bottom. Push it down... and move the lockpick back and forth... a little bit. Yep, like that- Oh gods, you've done it! You've picked the lock!"
Hiccup looked so proud. Incredibly proud, but very tired.
And Astrid guessed he was indeed tired, because then he closed his eyes, and unconsciousness claimed him for the second time that day.
Astrid.
Astrid.
That was all that went through Hiccup's mind as he ran through the forest.
Get to Astrid. Gotta get to Astrid. If you can just get to Astrid, you can finally do one thing that isn't a mistake.
Suddenly, Astrid appeared in front of him. She was floating in midair, but she had no wings. She looked angelic, hovering there like a dragon not beating its wings, and a bright light seemed to be radiating from her. She smiled at Hiccup and whispered, "Come on. You can do this. I'm counting on you- aah!"
An arrow suddenly came out of nowhere and shot right through the love of Hiccup's life. It pierced her skin and blood spurted everywhere. "Astrid!" Hiccup shouted. He fell to his knees, defeated, as Astrid's lifeless body dropped to the ground, bouncing slightly as it hit the dirt. A rough hand immediately grabbed Hiccup, shoving him to the ground. He felt intense pressure on his back and heard a familiar cut-glass drawl.
Krogan.
"Hiccup Haddock. I said I would wipe you out entirely and I will. Your friends, your father, your dragon, and your betrothed are dead... as are the rest of your pathetic little band of... what was it... 'Dragon riders'? The 'A-team'? As I said- pathetic. Anyway... you're next; and last. You've honestly made my day, Haddock. This ends now."
Hiccup felt a cool sharp blade being pressed against his neck, and braced himself for the pain that he knew was about to come. Salty tears blurred his vision, and he looked up at Astrid's corpse for the last time.
"Say goodnight, Hiccup."
And then it all went dark.
"He's in an unstable condition. Heather, I think it might have been Astauand fume. Can you get me some water, please Ruffnut?"
"Indubitably!"
"Astauand... Is he at least breathing steadily?"
"Uhuh. But he's severely dehydrated. Oh- thanks, Ruff."
Hiccup felt cool liquid being poured into his mouth and inwardly sighed. Water. It felt so good. He opened his eyes a crack and immediately regretted it as the blinding light penetrated his vision.
"He's awake!"
"Oh, thank Thor and Freya and Odin and all the rest..."
"Hiccup!"
Hiccup heard voices. Enthusiastic and overwhelming voices. Questions suddenly began to flood his mind: where was he? Why was the light so bright? Why wasn't he dead anymore? Why couldn't he move? He started to panic, and his breathing quickened. "Easy, Hiccup. Just breathe."
Fishlegs. That was Fishlegs' voice; Hiccup was sure of it.
"Hiccup. Hiccup, breathe. It's okay- I'm here."
Astrid.
"Where am I?" Hiccup asked shakily, managing to slow his breathing enough to talk.
"You're on the Edge, Hiccup. Sorry- we had to tie you down because you kept flailing yourself around in your sleep like a mad person. I'll undo those now... Can you open your eyes? Just for a moment?"
Hiccup opened his eyes slightly and squinted at Astrid. "Ast... Astrid?"
"Yep. I'm here. Now... I'm gonna ask you again: do you feel dizzy?"
Hiccup shook his head this time. It was only spinning slightly. "Not really."
"Okay. How many fingers am I holding up?"
Hiccup stared at Astrid's hand for a good minute before he decided upon the answer. "Three?... Not really sure."
"Nope, that's right. Okay... you can go back to sleep now if you like. I'll come and talk to you later, okay?"
Hiccup nodded slightly as he closed his eyes and felt himself slip away, away, away into the darkness.
He was home.