Author's Note: Hi! :) So, I did attempt at posting this earlier last year but got over whelmed and deleted it. I'm almost done so...yeah. Anyway brace yourself. Maybe being some tissues for later chapters. ;)
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
For the near future, I am sorry for any spelling/grammar errors I missed.
This is rated for some violence and paranoia on my part. Language is all K.
Enjoy! :D
Chapter 1: Astrid or Toothless?
Hiccup and Toothless sail through the air around thirty plus heavily armed Dragon Hunter ships, the Haddock's eyes narrowed as he focuses on the task at hand. "Toothless fire!" He shouts and the Night Fury releases a plasma blast hitting the hull of a ship causing it to creak inwards before snapping the occupants taking an unplanned dip.
"Fishlegs move!" Astrid shouts as she and her Deadly Nadder dive past the Dragon Hunter boats. Fishlegs and Meatlug pull up from a thick chain that would have wound around Meatlug's foreleg had they not moved quick enough.
Heather and Windshear dive forward towards another boat the Razorwhip snapping her tail forward and firing down at the boats the spikes imbedding into the wood and dangerously close to a Dragon Hunter's foot.
Hiccup and Toothless pull up towards the gathered group as they dodge the next rally of nets and ropes letting the supply die slightly, "Come on guys, focus, we take out these ships and half of Viggo's best ships are gone." Hiccup says and gestures with his hands to the boats underneath him.
Snotlout and Hookfang dive to the side of a spear and he looks up at his cousin, "Well I agree with you this genius plan doesn't seem to be working very well." Snotlout calls dryly.
Hiccup's eyes narrow and he looks down at the boats for several seconds before looks up, "Okay, change of plans; Heather, take Fishlegs and the twins and attack from the rear, me, Snotlout and Astrid will middle and meet you in the back." Hiccup calls and pulls Toothless away from the group heading back towards the water and skimming it.
The twins dive down towards the boats and Ruffnut looks at Tuffnut as he speaks: "You know, does something seem off to you?"
"Yeah," Ruffnut says and they both duck several arrows over their heads, "why would Viggo leave his ships so open?" She asks and Tuffnut nods.
"Exactly sister, Viggo knows that if we attack this part of the ships and burn them to the ground that will cause half his army to crumble." Tuffnut says and Ruffnut nods and lifts up a hand pointing for no reason.
"But Hiccup knows that Viggo knows that if we attack these ships that will cause large moral ambiguity. Ergo; Viggo is tricking us." Tuffnut says and Barf releases a long wall of gas around a boat.
"True that, but Hiccup knows that Viggo knows that Hiccup knows that Viggo will know that so Viggo will have a backup plan to stop us, but Hiccup knows that so I'm really not sure why we're doing this." Ruffnut concludes and both let out a startled yelps as a chain wraps around Belch's leg.
"Come on Barf!"
"You can do this Belch!"
The chain starts to pull them down and Ryker watching them smirks, "Pull harder! Once one is down it gives a domino effect!" Ryker shouts and the Dragon Hunters pull harder down on the wench.
"Hang on guys!" Heather shouts and the Razorwhip dives forward zipping beneath the Zippleback and slicing her tail across the chain and it snaps Barf and Belch jerking forward before sailing across the air away from the boat.
Snotlout and Astrid skim across the water the two dragons flying side by side as their riders stare at their target, eyes narrowed and focused. One of the larger Dragon Hunter ships. "Now!" Astrid yells and Stormfly twists as Hookfang fires a blast of fire the Deadly Nadder firing a spine through the flames they hit the ship and the wood bends on itself before the two dragons release long jet streams of fire.
The ship goes up in flames and Astrid and Snotlout both smirk pulling back up looking for their next victim. "Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!"
Toothless fires another blast at the ship at the boats and Hiccup pats his dragon's head, "Nice shot bud!" He greets watching the ship sink. Ten down, twenty to go.
After several minutes nearly the nearly the entire fleet except twelve ships is sinking or in flames. Windshear, Toothless, Barf, Belch and Meatlug pull up next to each other watching Snotlout and Astrid battle another ship. "Whats our next move?" Heather asks Hiccup. He watches the boats for another second.
"We round them up." He says and smirks slightly.
At that moment, with either terrible luck on the dragon riders part or amazing one on the Dragon Hunter's a net shoots from a boat and wraps around Stormfly the rider and Deadly Nadder going down to the boat with a long yell from Astrid.
Hiccup's eyes widen watching them and his hand snaps out like somehow he can stop them, "ASTRID!"
Astrid rips her axe from Stormflys saddle and smashes it down on the net, it snaps and Astrid gets to her feet glaring at the advancing Dragon Hunter's before happily attacking every person in sight, "I'm fine! GO! Finish the attack!" Astrid shouts up at Hiccup and the other riders.
"Are you sure!?" Hiccup shouts and Astrid smashes a man over the head giving him a half glance.
"I'm sure. GO!"
Hiccup and Toothless dive down to the boats and fire down at the remains of the ships and the still intact ones the other riders echoing him. After several minutes Windshear pulls up next to Hiccup, "Seven ships leaving the larger group!" Heather reports and Hiccup looks back at where she's pointing.
"You take Fishlegs and the twins and go, Snotlout and I are going to get Astrid." He says and she nods.
"Come on!" Heather shouts to the Zippleback and Gronckle riders leading Windshear away from the flaming boats. When they get closer, Heather shouts out their plan: "Ruff, Tuff take the middle, I'll take the left and Fishlegs right. We'll meet in the middle."
"Got it!" Fishlegs shouts and the two riders pull away from Heather. She and Windshear pull down towards the water and the Razorwhip skims it for a second before firing a blast at the side of the ship. Heather's eyes widen several times larger than normal as the white hot blast bounces off the side of the ship.
"What the?!" She demands and stares at the ship again.
"FIRE!" A voice commands and Heather looks up spotting Ryker on the ship.
"Windshear!" Heather warns as a net shoots towards them. Windshear pulls up and fires another blast at the deck of the ship but nothing happens beyond Ryker letting out a low laugh.
"Metal! They made the boat from metal!?" Heather releases before pulling her dragon away, "RETREAT!" She yells watching the arrows, nets and other equipment sail through the air.
"I don't see her!" Hiccup shouts scanning the broken boats looking for Astrid, Stormfly or both. "Do you?"
"Nope!" Snotlout shouts looking at the water having the same luck as his cousin.
"I don't get it! She was right here!" Hiccup says in frustration looking down at the boat.
"Hiccup!" Heather shouts as Windshear glides next to them her small group following them, "The boats were made out of dragon proof metal, we couldn't make a dent. Any luck on Astrid?" Heather asks and Hiccup shakes his head looking up.
"Dragon proof metal?" He repeats.
"Yes, Hiccup we have to fall back to Dragon's Edge. Astrid isn't here, we'll come back." Heather assures and Hiccup clenches his jaw.
"We will find her." He promises.
"Nothing! It's been two days and we still have nothing!" Hiccup says and stares down at the map that's spread across the table in the clubhouse as the other riders do various things around him; Heather sharpening her axe, Fishlegs reading a book, Snotlout napping, the twins drawing a mustache onto Snotlout with charcoal as he naps.
"We have to find a way to get onto those ships." Hiccup says and turns looking back at the riders.
The twins immediately pull back from Snotlout at his gaze, Tuffnut kicking the pencil back with his foot. "Oh! I've got it!" Tuffnut shouts and moves forward as Snotlout is jerked awake. "Me and Ruff could join the Dragon Hunters and rescue Astrid!" Tuffnut says and Hiccup sighs gripping the bridge of his nose.
"The Dragon Hunters aren't going to believe you just switched sides!" Fishlegs says and Heather sets the small stone she was using to sharpen her blade to the side.
"He's right." She says.
Tuffnut taps his chin for a second, "What about we dress up as Dragon Hunters and go onto the boats?" He asks and Hiccup's shoulders slump.
"No."
"Oh! What if we change our clothing to Dragon Hunter's and go onto the boats?" Ruffnut asks and Tuffnut smirks nodding with her.
"Well, admittedly it's not as daft as the last thirty plans you've come up with." A voice says causing every rider to freeze before turning and looking at the Dragon Hunter. Viggo rises to his feet from where'd he been sitting in the corner Toothless moving next to Hiccup as he does so. Viggo walks forward hands behind his back.
"How long have you been here!" Hiccup blurts.
"You aren't aware Hiccup Haddock the third?" Viggo asks and raises an eyebrow as if unimpressed with that.
"Uh, I think that's why he asked good sir." Tuffnut points out.
Hiccup shakes his head softly before resting a hand on his growling dragon's head, "What do you want Viggo?" He snarls.
"I've recently come into possession of a dragon rider,"Viggo says and Hiccup's eyes flicker up to him every thought stopping one blazing in his head; Astrid. "And I realized she's quite useful to me." Viggo finishes before removing something from his back and slamming it down on the clubhouse table.
"The Dragon Eye." Fishlegs murmurs eyes wide. The lensless cylinder rests on the table and Viggo draws his hand back watching the expressions of those around him.
"Why did you bring that here?" Hiccup demands.
"I am in need of a Night Fury blast to project that what I want to see and since you have the only Night Fury, I have a proposition for you." Viggo says and Hiccup lets out a soft laugh hand curling over Toothless's head as the Night Fury growls lower.
"You think I'm going to let you take Toothless." Hiccup realizes and meets eyes with the Grimborn with a venomous look on his face.
Viggo clasps his hands together, "Not quite. I know you're going to let me take your dragon, Hiccup." He says and Hiccup's eyes narrow before Viggo smirks slightly, "I have a proposition for you; Astrid for your dragon."
Hiccup's eyes widen and Viggo steps to the side as the clubhouse doors are shoved open and several Dragon Hunters move into the room, Ryker shoving a manacled and utterly exhausted Astrid into the room. "Astrid." Hiccup says and she looks up at him relief flooding through her eyes.
"Hiccup!" She calls and Ryker lifts his sword to her throat.
"Time is such a fragile thing." Viggo says and stares Hiccup in the eyes, "I would choose quickly Hiccup, you have thirty seconds before my brother removes her head from her body. Which really would be a pity, you're quite fond of her with it I'd assume." Viggo says and Hiccup's eyes widen and he looks down at Toothless before looking up at Astrid.
"Hiccup don't!" Astrid pleads.
"You can't seriously consider letting him take Toothless!" Fishlegs adds.
"Don't!" Heather shouts and Hiccup releases a shaky breath.
"Ten, nine, eight.." Viggo counts down relishing the panicked expression playing across Hiccup's face. "Two, one." The blade hilt digs into Astrid's neck and a thin strip of red pours onto it.
"Fine! You can take him on one condition!" Hiccup says and Viggo lifts up a hand to stop Ryker and looks at Hiccup telling him quietly to continue, "You have to take me to." Hiccup says and Viggo's eyes narrow.
"Deal." He agrees and Ryker shoves Astrid forward, she stumbles and Hiccup practically flies across the room catching her before she can smash against the ground. He helps her right herself before looking over at Viggo.
"Come on, Toothless." He says quietly and moves forward past Hiccup. Astrid's eyes widen and she grabs his shoulder.
"I hate you." She hisses and Hiccup pulls away from her.
"Love you too, milady." He calls dryly before the Dragon Hunters grab both the Haddock and the Night Fury pulling them away from the riders and Clubhouse towards the docks the others to shocked to do anything but stare.