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Engaged in a dangerous kind of business
The dress was too long.
She had filed a complaint to her boss but what she was met with in response was a slap on a back and a condensing laugh. Lesson learned - apparently being attractive meant more than being effective because there was no way in the world she would be able to throw a decent kick in a dress as long as this one.
She huffed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror wall.
"It's almost time, Astrid," Hiccup announced as he entered the room. He fixed his cuffs absently, mind miles away as it always was at moments like these. His left hand dove into the expensive jacket's pocket and he fished out a small box, handing it to her with a strained smile.
The ring was…okay, nothing too attention-grabbing, nor tacky-looking.
Enough for them to sell the lie.
"M'lady?" Hiccup inquired as he raised his arm, his smile more genuine this time. Astrid felt herself relaxing as she hooked their arms together. As planned, there was a black limousine waiting for them outside, their usual driver, Snotlout, already waiting for them to get in. As they sat down, her hand went to fix her hair, noting that at a certain angle her earpiece remained visible.
Gods, this plan was destined to fail. Not that anyone wanted to listen to her. Except for one person.
"You look, eh, you look beautiful," Hiccup's nervous voice sounded to her left and she allowed herself to smile, just a little. There was something heart-warming in the fact that she was not the only one that had their doubts when it came to their mission; she knew he had her back, he always did.
Having been thoroughly checked at the entrance, they entered the Great Hall hand in hand, immediately blown away by the richness of the room – the diamond chandeliers, marble floors and highest-quality furniture, where a single piece was worth more than her monthly wage. The dance floor in the middle was filled with couples dancing a waltz as Johann Strauss II's 'Wiener Blut' filled the enormous Hall.
"Care for a dance?" Hiccup quirked an eyebrow her way.
"You know I don't dance," she answered with half-hearted shake of her head though her lips stretched into a tired smile.
"I know Astrid Hofferson does not," he laughed quietly when she hushed him. "but perhaps Lady Fowler does?"
"Fine then," she pulled on his hand, "Mr. Danaher. I suppose a dance it is."
Hiccup grinned cheekily at her as she tugged him by the sleeve towards the dancefloor. They swerved across it with surprising grace and finesse as the finest Vienna orchestra played their soft tunes in the background. The secret joy of doing something as simple as dancing was brutally interrupted when, from the corner of her eye, she saw her target. She had gone through Castel's file and it had been long since she had felt so disgruntled, so disgusted while doing so. She would have taken him down if it were up to her but it was not the focus of her mission here and she was not going to be the one to go against their boss's wishes.
The task was simple; make sure Hiccup had enough time to do what he was supposed to – hack into the system, destroy Castel from the inside.
She was a distraction, as much as she did not like it.
Once the piece finished, Astrid felt Hiccup's arms around her loosen and she knew it was time to do what they came here to do. She saw Castel meeting her eye for a split moment, a strange expression gracing his quite handsome face. He was young, so terrifyingly young – his gentle manner did not match the brutal reports, it was almost too easy to doubt.
She made sure Castel was occupied before pulling Hiccup away from the dancefloor. He noticed the man, their target, and frowned. Castel being here, so close, was not part of the plan, but perhaps they could use it to their advantage.
"I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be back soon," he squeezed her hand as he said it, a signal between them both. She used it to hug him shortly.
"Be careful," she quickly whispered.
"Aren't I always?" Hiccup mustered a smile she knew was just a cover-up for how nervous he was, understandably so; Hiccup was never supposed to have left his office back at their base. But he did, and she would what she could to keep him safe. Her heart jolted sharply in her chest as she saw him leave.
He would be safe, there was no other way.
Astrid took her place by one of the tables, beautifully set up and almost buckling under all the exquisite foods placed on top. She took a moment to remind herself of Castel's file, thinking of a good way to approach and distract him. Her stomach twisted as she thought of the folder, swollen with abuse, violence and manipulation. A glass of surely very expensive red wine tempted her from across the table.
"Lady Fowler, is it?" A voice cut through her thoughts like a well-sharpened knife. Castel appeared to her right, his hands in the pants' pockets.
"Yes?" she inquired with a slight nod of her head, surprised that he was the one to approach her. It wasn't right. She quickly stood up, fixing the folds on her dress. "Is there something I can help you with, Sir?"
"I wanted to ask if you have seen the art exhibition yet?" he didn't look at her as he spoke. There was some roughness, some rawness hidden under the perfect smile, perfect hair and perfect clothes. She swallowed.
"Oh, I fear I haven't had the pleasure yet," Astrid shrugged half-heartedly, her eyes shifting towards the direction in which Hiccup left. He caught that and she cursed inwardly.
"Let me show you then," Castel held out his arm for her, a charming smile accompanying his gentleman-like manners.
"I should wait for my fiancé-"
"Mr. Bailey here will inform him to join us," he quickly jumped in with a nonchalant wave of his hand. Mr. Bailey, a man that had to be in his old fifties at the least, smiled warmly her way. His gentle blue eyes and long blond moustache fancily done gave away a trustworthy impression. He looked almost…familiar, or so it seemed to her. "Now, if I may-?"
She linked her arm with his, keeping as much distance between them as possible. It was awkward, painfully so, but she was not willing to disrespect her personal space any more than she had done already this evening.
The art gallery, as it turned out, was truly a sight to behold. Awe-inspiring baroque and romantic paintings graced walls on both sides of the corridor. She and Castel walked down the red carpet that her legs sunk into with each step, with the man himself presenting each landscape and portrait with a detailed and personalized description. Her eyelids felt heavier as more information was shared and the hall didn't seem to get any shorter, quite the opposite really.
Art was never her domain; it was Hiccup's more than anyone else's out of people she knew.
Gods, she hoped he was safe. She remained unsettled as the earpiece kept silent on his end.
It was then that she realized – the Hall was empty. Gone were the lone couples wondering around and young artists fawning over the masterpieces from centuries ago. A shiver ran down her back as she realized how dangerous of a situation she was currently in.
Castel released her arm and she knew. As he threw a fist her way, she was ready and blocked it with her forearm, her other hand going to unsheathe a small knife. She choked as Castel managed to grab her by the throat and press against the wall, in-between two paintings. She hid her hand grasping the knife under her back – a foolish and amateur mistake on his part.
He pressed his forearm onto her neck and she gasped for air.
"You think you had me fooled?" he hissed, his irritation growing by the second. Astrid saw an insane glint in his eyes.
"The diamond in your engagement ring is fake," he sneered as he roughly pulled off the piece of cheap jewelry, thrusting it down the hall. It rolled down on the floor, falling into a small ventilation opening. Astrid used the brief moment of distraction as she bit into his arm, hard.
Castel ripped his arm away and clutched it, with a low growl under his breath. Taking the brief moment of distraction to her advantage, she cut through the side of her dress with the knife and threw a kick into his stomach. The man stumbled backwards. She pressed the earpiece into her ear.
"Hiccup, it's over, get out of there – now!" she quickly said as she felt herself being thrown sideways. With a groan, Astrid tried to throw a punch his way but he caught her fist and twisted her arm, her back now pressed tightly against his front. She elbowed him in the stomach, setting herself free.
Until she heard a clung of a gun.
She turned around slowly to see him point it her way, his face radiating from insane rage and glistening with sweat. He wouldn't fire. He wouldn't dare with so many people in the room right next to them, not with so many witnesses.
He loaded the gun.
She felt a beat of sweat roll down her forehead as she cursed herself for not taking her glock pre-emptively. Her boss had forbid her from doing so, but she should have anyway.
"Astrid? Where are you?" Hiccup's nasally voice sounded in her ear. He was safe, he had to be, right?
"Go without me," she whispered back as the gun stared at her from across the corridor, framed with a confident smirk on Castel's face.
"Astrid, what-?" she heard his confusion and panic as she turned off the earpiece. It's me and you, Castel.
"You think I won't shoot you?" his voice quivered, his shaky finger ghosting over the trigger. No, she had no doubt that she would. Her eyes roamed over the room in a weak attempt to find a way out. She saw a bulky shadow and her heart stopped.
"I wouldnae do that if I were ye."
She released a shaky breath as Castel lowered the gun. Mr. Bailey pressed his own glock to the young man's skull.
"This is the FBI," the man said through gritted teeth. Castel, all of a sudden, appeared stupidly vulnerable as he dropped his gun and fell to his knees, his arms falling limp by his sides.
"You betrayed me, Mr. Bailey," he murmured surprised with a child-like innocence to it, and she found it hard to believe it was the same guy that was ready to blast her brains out just a minute ago. "You betrayed me."
He kept repeating that as Mr. Bailey handcuffed him and as he was positioned safely by the wall, his gun out of his reach.
"Gobber," the older man informed as he went in to shake hands with her. Noting Astrid's obvious hesitation, he fished out an ID. "I worked undercover fer Castel fer a year now."
"No such information was forwarded-"
"Those muttonheads are as organized as-" Gobber waved his hand as she looked at him skeptically. "Never mind. Point is, I was informed, agent Hofferson."
She heard sirens outside. Her heart leapt and she jumped to reach the doors to the Great Hall. People must have been evacuated as the ballroom remained empty, untouched food filling the tables still. She saw Hiccup, safe, talking to their boss by the main entrance, worry prominent on his face. Their eyes met. It took all her will power to not ran his way. But he was safe. She smiled, adrenaline wearing off.
"Good thing it was a fake one," Astrid huffed, taking out a small velvet box from her safe in their office. She unlocked the lid and took out a small silver ring before sliding it onto one of her fingers. Hiccup barked a short laugh.
"Gods, I don't know what I would have done," he shook his head. "I can't afford another one."
She snorted, a lazy smile making its way on her face.
"Well, it's more about the person than the ring, don't you think?" she inquired teasingly as she leaned forward to peck him on the lips.
"True," her fiancé agreed thoughtfully. With a smile of his own, he handed her his arm, for the second time this evening. "Ready to go home, Lady Hofferson?"
Her laugh was truly something that could brighten up anyone's day, his especially.
"As ready as I'll ever be, Mr. Haddock."