INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Hicca enters to see...
STOICK, seated on a thick slice of tree-trunk. He is slouched over the fire-pit, stirring the coals with his axe. Embers waft around his beard. Hicca tries to sneak past, up the stairs to her room.
"Ninga mode" whispers Kat.
Stoick seems none the wiser, when...
STOICK Hicca.
"Busted" sings Toothless, who was still in his human form, with his hands around Hicca's shoulders.
HICCA (CAUGHT) Dad. Uh...
Stoick stands, takes a deep breath.
HICCA (CONT'D) I, uh... I need to talk to you, Dad.
STOICK I need to speak with you too,dear.
Hicca and Stoick STRAIGHTEN at the same moment.
HICCA STOICK I've decided I don't want to I think it's time you learn fight dragons. to fight dragons. (BEAT) (BEAT) What? What?
Every one in the room were laughting like maniacs. They just had to change their minds the same time.
STOICK (CONT'D) You go first.
HICCA No no, you go first.
STOICK Alright. You get your wish. Dragon training. You start in the morning.
HICCA (SCRAMBLING) Oh man, I should have gone first. Uh, 'cause I was thinking, we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough bread-making Vikings, or small home REPAIR VIKINGS-
"Bread making Vikings? Really?" asked Toothless, with a raised eyebrow.
"I was panicking!"
STOICK -You'll need this.
Stoick hands Hicca his axe. Hicca avoids taking it.
HICCA I don't want to fight dragons.
STOICK Come on. Yes, you do.
HICCA Rephrase, Dad. I can't kill dragons.
STOICK But you will kill dragons.
HICCA No, I'm pretty very extra sure that I won't.
STOICK It's time Hicca.
HICCA Can you not hear me!?
"Obiously not" she muttered under her breath.
STOICK This is serious dear!
Stoick forces the axe into Hicca's hands. Its weight drags her down. She looks up to see Stoick under-lit with firelight.
STOICK (CONT'D) When you carry this axe... you carry all of us with you.
"My back hurts just thinking about it."
Which means you walk like us. You talk like us. You think like us.
"Please don't do that" Toothless whispers in her ear.
"I'm not planing on it."
No more of... (GESTURING NON- specifically at Hicca) ... this.
"Again, I love this."
HICCA (annoyed) You just gestured to all of me.
STOICK Deal?
HICCA This conversation is feeling really one-sided.
STOICK DEAL?!
Hicca glances at the axe in her hands. It's a no-win argument.
HICCA (RESIGNED) *sigh* Deal.
Satisfied, Stoick grabs his helmet and duffel bag... and heads for the door.
STOICK Good. Train hard. I'll be back. Probably.
HICCA And I'll be here. I guess.
Stoick heads out the door, leaving Hicca holding the axe.
"Sad" said Kat.
"Not even a 'goodbye'" finished Zamble.
EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY
Gobber raises a massive iron gate at the entrance of a vast stone arena.
GOBBER Welcome to dragon training!
"Yay!" exclaimed Hicca sarcasticly.
The recruits file through the gate, and out onto the arena floor. They take it in like gladiators entering the colosseum. The walls are covered in scorched silhouettes of blasted Vikings. It's a grim yet awe-inspiring place.
ASTEUN No turning back anymore.
"Great."
TUFFNUT I hope I get some serious burns.
RUFFNUT I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back.
"Why?! What fun is there in pain?"
ASTEUN Yeah, it's fun only if you get a scar out of it.
HICCA (O.S.) No kidding, right? Pain. Love it.
The recruits turn to see Hicca behind them. Groans all around.
TUFFNUT Oh great. Who let her in?
"My thoughts exacly Tuff" said Hicca.
GOBBER Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village.
"Where was is the honor in that?" asked... Stoic!
The Berkians looked at him in shock. What was going on with their counterparts?
SNOTLOUT Hicca already killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify her or...?
Toothless glared at Snotlout.
"You remember what I said before?" he said with a voice that could make any sane persom need a new pair of undies.
Snotlout nobbed fracticly.
"Good."
The recruits LAUGH and chatter in the background.
TUFFNUT Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?
Gobber throws a supportive arm around Hicca and ushers her along.
GOBBER (cheery, in confidence) Don't worry. You're small and you're weak. That'll make you less of a target. They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead.
"That really helped my confidence Gobber."
GOBBER stick her in line with the others and continues on toward five massive reinforced doors. Terrible ROARS and BELLOWS issue from within.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight.
Fishlegs bounces and giggles with excitement, barely able to contain himself.
GOBBER (CONT'D) The Deadly Nadder.
FISHLEGS (under his breath) Speed eight. Armor sixteen.
The Nabbers smiled. Or tried to.
GOBBER The Hideous Zippleback.
FISHLEGS Plus eleven stealth. Times two.
Zippleback dance time!
GOBBER The Monstrous Nightmare.
FISHLEGS Firepower fifteen.
The Nightmares lit themselves on fire. Unfortantely for them, a little penguin (Emma) put them out.
GOBBER The Terrible Terror.
FISHLEGS Attack eight. Venom twelve.
"How can something so little have so much venom?" asked Hicca, holding a small red Terror in her arms.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY LITTLE PIPSQUEAK!?" yelled the Terror.
"De ja vu" said Kat.
GOBBER CAN YOU STOP THAT?! (BEAT) And...the Gronckle.
FISHLEGS (quietly; to himself) Jaw strength, eight.
"That's good, right?" asked a Gronckle
HICCA I don't think that helps us.
FISHLEGS It doesn't
Everybody laughts.
Gobber pulls a lever, raising the cross beam on the last of the doors.
SNOTLOUT Whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first!?
"He belives in learning in the job. I have the scars to prove it" said both dragon trainers the same time making every one laught.
GOBBER I believe in learning on the job.
"Told ya."
BAM! A GRONCKLE thunders out of its cave, charging into the ring like an irate rhino. The recruits scramble in every direction. Except for Ruffnut and Tuffnut who rush toward it, like pumped-up rodeo clowns.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead. Quick, what's the first thing you're going to need?
HICCA A doctor?
"I think that's for later" said Toothless.
FISHLEGS Plus five speed?
"What does that even mean?" asked Asteun.
ASTEUN A shield.
GOBBER Shields. Go.
The recruits scramble for shields, finding them scattered around the ring.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield.
Hicca STRUGGLES to lift hers. Gobber helps her and sends her running. Ruff and Tuff stand amidst a dozen shields. But only one has a skull painted on it. They both grab it.
TUFFNUT Get your hands off my shield!
RUFFNUT There are like a million shields!
TUFFNUT Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers.
Ruffnut uses the shield to BASH Tuffnut in the face. He doesn't let go.
RUFFNUT Ooops, now this one has blood on it.
The twins parents in both dimensions shake their heads. Why can't they just get along?
The Gronckle takes aim at the distracted twins. Blam! The shield is blasted out of both of their hands. Tuff and Ruff SPIN like tops and go down.
GOBBER Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!
TUFFNUT (DAZED) What?!
RUFFNUT (CONFUSED) What?!
The Gronckle scoops up a pile of rocks and SWALLOWS them back. The teens gather on the far side of the ring.
GOBBER Those shields are good for another thing. Noise. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim.
The kids scoop up weapons and begin hammering on their shields. The Gronckle shakes its head at the clatter.
GRONCKLE'S POV - the teens targets become blurry and scrambled. It's working.
"I feel dizzy" muttered Gobbers.
GOBBER (CONT'D) All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?
SNOTLOUT Five!
FISHLEGS No, six.
GOBBER Correct, six. That's one for each of you!
FISHLEGS I really don't think my parents WOULD-
BAM! Fishlegs has his shield blasted away.
GOBBER Fishlegs, out.
Gobber spots Hicca hiding from the Gronckle's molten slugs.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Hicca, get in there!
"Why? You said the lesson was about surviving. Well, I was surviving back there, thank you very much."
Gobber opened his mouth to say something, but he got nothing.
"She's right Gobber" said Asteun.
ON ASTEUN bouncing on his heels, ready to dodge a blast. Snotlout appears, trying to talk to him.
SNOTLOUT So anyway I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out-
He cartwheels out of the way, allowing a shot to shoot past him and hit Snotlout's shield. He's blasted onto his back.
GOBBER Snotlout! You're done!
Asteun ROLLS to a stop beside Hicca, who stirs awkwardly, trying to look cool.
HICCA (VOICE BREAKING) Guess it's just you and me huh?
ASTEUN No. Just you.
"There goes another atempt on being friendly" mutters Hicca.
Asteun ROLLS away. A split-second later a lava slug knocks Hicca's shield clear off of her arm. Hicca is exposed.
GOBBER One shot left!
Hicca panics and chases after her shield as it rolls across the ring. The sudden movement sends the Gronckle chasing after her, leaving Asteun in the clear.
GOBBER (CONT'D) (WORRIED) Hicca!
The Gronckle drives straight toward Hicca, pinning her against the wall. It opens its mouth and cocks its tail, ready to fire point-blank. Gobber lunges in and hooks the Gronckle's mouth at the last second, causing its head to jerk back and fire against the stone wall above Hicca's head.
GOBBER (CONT'D) (rattled, but masking it) And that's six!
Gobber wrestles the irate Gronckle back into his pen.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Go back to bed, ya overgrown sausage! You'll get another chance, don't you worry.
Slam! Lock. Gobber turns to the recruits.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Remember... a dragon will always, (with a stern look to HICCA) always go for the kill.
"Not always" says Hicca, looking at Toothless, who leans in and kisses her.
"Again, weird" says Hiccup.
When the two brake apart, and that took some time, Toothless smiles devilish at Stoic.
He hoists Hicca to her feet and walks off. Hicca looks overhead to see a steaming pit in the solid stone wall