I don't own httyd, sadly. But, I do own this story.

Toothless screamed as he went down, his mouth snapping shut as he hit the water. His tailfin had broken when part of the chain wrapped around the flared prosthetic while he thrashed, trying to free himself. He felt himself jerk as he was yanked backwards and pulled onto the boat. Quickly, his head was pinned down and he was muzzled. Ryker grinned down at the dragon as the ship turned around. His brother was going to love this.

Water dripped from the roof of the cave as a storm raged outside. One drop landed on the nose of a large, inky black dragon, making him snort. Two long ears pricked as he lifted his head, his nap interrupted. Toothless shook his head and looked around, noting that the dark green Nadder was gone. Probably killed in her last fight. He growled as his eye itched, a prickling, painful itch that made him squirm. Th irritated dragon lifted a paw and scratched at his eye, growling in pleasure. Toothless twitched as his paw ran over the thick, smooth scar that ran from his ear to his chin, slicing through his right eye. He had tried to fight back a few months after his capture and ended up almost tearing off a guard's arm, as well as knocking out Ryker. The man in charge of the dragon fights had whipped him, blinding him in his right eye.

The gate clanged open, revealing a one-armed guard who was carrying a small pail of fish. Toothless' stomach rumbled as the man placed the pail in front of him. His muzzle allowed him enough room to eat but nothing more. The man kicked the pail over and fish spilled out, not enough to satisfy him but enough to tide him over for a couple weeks. He shook his head and licked his lips, relishing in the taste. Oh how he missed the days where he could gorge himself on fish. The days before he learned that humans weren't trustworthy. His ears shot up when he heard voices outside the cage, one he recognized as the leader of the dragon fights, the other he didn't know. The one-armed man turned as a trio of men came in, his body immediately tense. A low growl rumbled deep in Toothless' throat, his teeth bared while his claws dug into the stone. Soon the men left and Toothless was left alone with the other dragons. A hateful snarl from the other side of the room made him tense as he locked eyes with his arch enemy; the Triple Stryke. Toothless hissed at his enemy before turning away, curling into a tight ball. His eyes slid shut and he relaxed, covering his head with his tailfin. Hopefully he wouldn't have to fight for a few days.

XXX

It had been a week since his last fight and Toothless was looking forward to his next one. He rarely lost so he stayed fairly well-fed. Toothless shook his head and huffed, rubbing his paw against his blind eye again. He gurgled and looked up as the gate opened, snarling when he spotted Ryker and his men. Sharp teeth stained from blood gleamed as Toothless growled, eyes narrowed in hatred. He didn't trust anyone anymore but the people he trusted the least were Ryker and his brother. Slowly the men approached him and his growls got louder as he circled them. When one of the men reached for him, he snapped the muzzle around his jaws and shrieked, his eyes narrowed. Ryker yelled something at his men and Toothless snarled as he was surrounded.

"Get him outside. He can't escape after all." As he often did, now, Toothless cursed the boy who shot him down and robbed him of his flight. After all he'd been through at the hands of the dragon hunters, he wasn't sure why he'd trusted the child in the first place. As soon as he was loose, he took off, racing away from the men following him as he shot towards the dock.

THWAP

The only warning he got from behind him was a hissing of rope through the air before a net wrapped around him, sending him sliding along the ground. Soon, Ryker was standing in front of him, grinning. He twisted and snarled, his whole body tense as they grabbed the net and dragged him down to the boats. Toothless shrieked, his pupils slitted as he was dragged onto one of the hunter ships, the one he knew held the dragon cages. The enraged Night Fury scrabbled the deck of the ship, leaving deep gouges in the wood. His chin bumped painfully on the stairs as they dragged him down below as they set off. Toothless was locked in one of the far cells and muzzled, the straps wrapped around his head driving him crazy. He sighed and curled up, waiting for them to bring him on deck. After all, his only purpose now was as a weapon.

XXX

Hiccup rested his chin on Astrid's shoulder as Stormfly beat her wings, his eyes closed. Unlike the others, he didn't feel any joy in flying or tricks. He hadn't for the past three years after Toothless abandoned him. He tightened his grip around Astrid and let out a small whimper, not noticing as his friends gave him a sympathetic look, even Snotlout. He hadn't been the same after Toothless left and never came back, taking a large piece of the boy with him.

"Dragon hunters!" Hiccup looked up, shaken out of his thoughts, as the group approached the ship. Stormfly squawked and dove, sending a spray of quills at the men. Not far behind, Hookfang fired, his sticky, liqued flame spreading across the deck and mast. Hiccup watched as the twins dove, surrounding the ship with thick, green gas that quickly blew up. Soon, the mean jumped overboard, including Ryker who was forced to leave on the extra boat.

"Alright, everyone, be careful. You all know these dragons can be a bit aggressive. Hiccup, I assume you'll be staying up here with the dragons as usual?" Astrid gave him a sad smile when he nodded before heading down below deck. Unlike the other ships, it was dark in the holding area. She headed to a cage that held a beautiful, emerald green Nadder. Everyone knew she had a soft spot for the breed, thanks to Stormfly. As the dragons were released, Astrid heard the twins suddenly start shouting, their shout so excited and fast that she couldn't understand them.

"ASTRID!" Astrid jumped as her name was called by Snotlout, while the twins continued to yell. Shaking her head, the blonde ran after them, asking what was wrong.

"Nothing wrong but you HAVE to see this. We found... well... just come look." When she found them, she was shocked to find Fishlegs out cold. Snotlout had a hand clapped over the twins' mouths while motioning towards the cage in front of them. Astrid turned and froze, her eyes going wide. Inside the cage was a large, jet black dragon with narrowed, deep green eyes and wide, half-spread wings. Thick, powerful paws ended in short, stubby claws that gripped the wood beneath him. A thin, prehensile tail was wrapped around the growling dragon but what had caught her attention was the dragon's fins. Or, rather, lack of a left fin. The tense Night Fury's ears were standing on end as he continued growling. Astrid slowly stepped towards the cage, freezing again when the growling got even louder. Toothless' eyes were narrowed with nothing but hatred and fear showing.

"Snotlout, go get Hiccup. Now." He nodded and shot off, startling Toothless even more. Astrid yelped as a blue-purple firebolt hit the wood in front of her feet. He hissed and curled up even tighter, teeth bared and stained yellow. Soon, they all heard the telltale squeak of Hiccup's fake leg, followed by the two boys appearing.

"Hiccup, don't... overreact, okay. Just, brace yourself for a shock." Hiccup sent hear a confused look before walking over and turning towards the cage. Instantly, he froze as the tension in the air became so thick, one could cut it with a knife. Hiccup was still as a statue as he stared at the Night Fury, who was glaring at him. Toothless shifted and a shaft of light fell over his eyes, revealing how cloudy it was, as well as the scar that sliced through it. Astrid noticed that Hiccup had started to tremble. In a quiet voice, almost too quiet to hear, he whispered one word.

"Toothless?"