Grimmel was currently in his temporary headquarters instructing venom from one of his Deathgrippers' stinger into a glass.
Once he was finished the Deathgripper which attracted its tail and laid on the ground. Grimmel then began to pour the venom into a tube and then places the tube into one of his darts.
The Dragon Riders meanwhile were in their armour heading towards Grimmel's hideout temporary base. Hiccup, who was without his dragon was riding with Astrid and Heather and Eret were wearing their own dragon armour.
Heather's was far more metallic than any of the others and she had her double bladed act attached to her back. Her armour was very sleek and the head somewhat resembled that of a Razorwhip.
Eret's armour was covered in Skullcrusher's scales, which were green with brown trimmings, and was possibly the most protected out of all of them. The helmet was in a shade of red and resembled Skullcrusher's head though the horns were far smaller.
Astrid then looked back at Hiccup and he nodded. He then promptly jumped off of Stormfly and stretched out his wings and began to glide towards the land and the others began to follow him. Once he landed he retracted his wings and they began making their way to Grimmel's hideout which was basically an old tower ruin.
Inside the Deathgrippers' head immediately rose as they sensed something and Grimmel had a feeling he knew what they were sensing. He snapped his fingers and the Deathgrippers walked off no doubt to defend the base.
Outside the Dragon Riders positioned themselves behind a rock and watched as a Deathgripper walked by.
"Okay. Split up, we'll be harder to catch," said Snotlout.
"I was thinking we should split up… just because," said Eret.
"I like your instincts," Valka whispered.
The Riders then immediately walked off individually leaving a bewildered Snotlout behind.
"What is this?!" he said.
The riders then entered the tower stealthily, though it had a good number of Deathgripper patrolling the area. Hiccup saw a light at the top of the tower and assumed that was where Grimmel was located and he gave a few hand signals to Astrid.
Astrid then promptly tossed a rock to the other side of the tower in order to mislead one of the Deathgrippers. The twins had managed to reach the first level and immediately took cover behind some broken boards, though for some strange reason Tuffnut was making himself very visible. Ruffnut quickly pulled him back barely before a Deathgripper turn to face that direction.
Hiccup then quickly ran up the stairs towards Grimmel's workshop and when he reached the top he immediately ignited Inferno. Unfortunately when he made his way into the workshop he found that Grimmel was nowhere to be seen.
Then suddenly and completely out of nowhere a huge net fell down over the tower trapping the Dragon Riders inside with the Deathgrippers. Hiccup rush to the edge just in time to see the net falling to the floor and he could hear Fishmeat screams.
"Shh. Shh. Quiet!" said Fishlegs gently.
Hiccup began making his way down the steps and found that Grimmel was on the bottom floor smirking as he held a torch to illuminate his grisly face.
"Where's your dragon when you need him? Hmm, Chief?" he mocked. "Must have forgotten all about you." He then began to laugh. "First rule of the hunt: Separate the prey from its pack. You've just removed yourselves from the equation."
"Why are you doing this?" Hiccup asked as he lifted his visor.
"Really?" said Grimmel placing a hand over his heart. "I didn't think you cared. Well, unlike you, when I was a boy and I came up on a Night Fury, I killed it where it slept! That simple act of courage made me a hero in my village." He then turned his back on him. "So, I decided to kill every last one, bringing real peace to the people of this world." He turned back towards Hiccup and narrowed his eyes. "Until you came along preaching that dragons are something other than thieves and murderers. Then if that's not bad enough you manage to convince two of the most toughest tribes imaginable to give up killing dragons, allied yourselves with a bunch of fanatics that worshipped the beasts and some not jobs that believe it's their divine mission to protect them. Psssh. That nonsense dies now. Starting with you."
"But you have dragons of your own," said Hiccup gesturing to his Deathgrippers.
Grimmel laughed at Hiccup's comment. "These? They're dragon killers. Drugged into obedience with their own venom. Not even your precious Alpha could control them. They serve me." He then pushed one of the tubes on one of his Deathgripper's collars and its eyes became slits. "And only me. Allow me to demonstrate."
He then whistled.
"Take cover!" Hiccup ordered.
He quickly jumped out of the way just in time to avoid a Deathgripper spitting acid and the steps started to melt away.
"Split up!" Astrid yelled.
No one argued as the immediately split up as the Deathgripper spewed acid in all different directions. Astrid quickly made a dash up some fallen wooden boards and jumped onto the net in time to avoid the acid. She then quickly began to climb as a Deathgripper chased after her and frankly she was able to get to the top of the net though it remained determined to follow her.
Hiccup was still running up the steps as a Deathgripper melted away with it acid, he then quickly grabbed onto a chain and swung himself just before the stairs were destroyed. He then swung towards the wall just as the wreckage from the steps landed on the ground. He immediately climbed up just in time to avoid a Deathgripper shooting its acid burst.
Valka was on the top of the wall was well been chased by a Deathgrippers and then a second one appeared. She quickly used her staff to pole vault onto some wooden boards and quickly jumped up to the rigging above her hooking it with her staff and using her momentum to swing to the top in order to avoid the acid. Once she was at the top she poked her staff out of the steel net and began swinging around and it began making a noise
She quickly turned and looked down at the others. "Up here!"
Astrid was climbing up the wall trying to dodge the Deathgripper's attacks. It then swung its sting at her, but she quickly managed to avoid it and then grasp hold of its tail swinging herself to kick it right in the face and then somersaulted back on top of the tail. She then quickly jumped and continued the climb to the top of the tower.
Cloudjumper then arrived and began to lift the net off the top of the tower using all his strength.
"Hurry!" Valka yelled as she helped Tuffnut up.
All the riders apart from Hiccup had managed to reach the top of the tower and then quickly mounted their dragons.
"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!" Snotlout yelled.
Valka then looked down at her son. "Hiccup!"
Hiccup was quite a fair from the top of the tower and there was a massive drop below him. Though he had no choice and took several steps backwards and then performed a long jump and left over a Deathgripper that had just launched itself out of the smoke.
He narrowly missed it and grabbed his mother's hand.
"Gotcha!" she said lifting him up onto Cloudjumper's tail. "Go, Cloudjumper!"
Cloudjumper pulled them out of the tower and left the Deathgrippers trapped inside the burning tower. Then suddenly appearing completely out of nowhere was the Crimson Goregutter.
"Yeah! Our hero!" Fishlegs cheered.
The Crimson Goregutter rammed into the top of the tower and it began to crumble into pieces. Then it along with the Deathgrippers began to fall. He could hear the screams of Fishmeat and then suddenly Ruffnut emerge out of the tower.
"Ugh. He takes that stupid baby everywhere," Ruffnut groaned.
Grimmel then turned and looked at her in shock, realising that she was a Dragon Rider.
The sun was just beginning to rise as the other Dragon Riders had finally managed to reach New Berk with nothing for their efforts.
"Thor Almighty" Gobber groaned and then pointed towards a wooden cage. "Guess we won't be needing this then, huh?"
"I led us right into his trap," Hiccup groaned in frustration as he removed his helmet.
"Yeah, nice work, Chief," said Tuffnut. "Right, Ruff?"
They then suddenly realise that Ruffnut was nowhere to be seen.
Hiccup stared at him. "Wait…"
Tuffnut's eyes widened when he realised the situation. "Uh…"
"Where is Ruffnut?" Hiccup asked, though he had a dredging feeling he knew the answer to that question.
"We—we left her behind!" Fishlegs cried.
Astrid stared at Tuffnut in bewilderment. "How could you not notice she was missing? You ride a two-headed dragon."
"Oh, yeah," said Tuffnut. "I feel like how Ruffnut is everyday… Dumb."
"Odin be spanked!" said Gobber in disbelief. "This just gets better and better."
"I try to avoid looking at her because she gives me acid reflux," Tuffnut explained.
"O-Okay guys! Just keep your helmets on!" said Hiccup. "Toothless and I will fly—"
"Toothless has the Light Fury now!" a Viking reminded him. "He's probably not even coming back."
Hiccup just stared at him blankly. "What?"
"You gave him his freedom, Hiccup," said Astrid. "What were you expecting?"
"I never thought he'd stay away for good!" said Hiccup frustratingly.
"Hiccup, don't you remember what your father did with Thornado?" Ragnar asked. "He released him so that he could stay with his new family. The situation with Toothless is no different."
"I-I… Ah…" said Hiccup looking as if he was about to rip his hair out. "Look, I'll figure it out. I just need more time."
Everyone then watched as Hiccup walked off.
"He thinks he has to lead alone," said Valka approaching Astrid. "Well, because his father had to."
They continue to watch Hiccup and saw him drop his helmet on the ground.
"I've known him longer than anyone else and I know him best," said Ragnar as he joined them. "He had been spending years trying to prove himself to his father, to the tribe and every single attempt he lost more more of his competence. It was only when he met Toothless that he found the strength to carry on."
Valka nodded. "He doesn't realise the strength you have together." She then looked at Astrid. "Do you still believe in him?"
"Of course," said Astrid and she looked back at him. "I wish he did, but it's just like Ragnar said, he thinks he's nothing without Toothless.
"Then help him realise the truth," Valka encouraged.
Hiccup looked extremely stressed out and he was struggling to figure out what to do next. Then suddenly Astrid landed in front of him on top of on Stormfly.
"Get on!" she said.
"What?" Hiccup stared.
"We're going to find him," said Astrid extending her hand.
Hiccup looked at her blankly. "Really?"
"And I'm coming to," said Ragnar as he mounted Skull. "Someone has to make sure the two of you get back alive."
"Let me join you," said Heather.
Ragnar shook his head. "No, we need every able-bodied Dragon Rider to stay here in case Grimmel launches an attack. You have better survivalist skills than anyone else here."
Heather looked at him and nodded reluctantly.
Hiccup smiled at the two of them. "Thanks.
Hiccup then grabbed Astrid hand and she pulled him on top of Stormfly.
Everyone then watched as Stromfly and Skull began to take off.
Hiccup looked down at them. "Everybody, stay put! We will get Ruffnut back! Don't worry!"
"Pffft. Worry? If they're stuck with Ruffnut, I'm more worried about them," said Tuffnut with a chuckle.
Ruffnut was currently in a cell in another one of the Trappers base of operations. Standing outside it planning the next move was Grimmel and the warlords.
Though surprisingly Ruffnut was being rather calm inside a prison cell
"Why the long face?" Ruffnut laughed. "I mean, mine's long, but yours is really long. All face and no brain. Like you got stretched at birth. Do you have a twin, too? Tuffnut took up all the room in Mom's belly. Otherwise, I'd have a rounder head and more brains, that's science."
Grimmel was starting to get very annoyed with their captive as he was finding it difficult to concentrate on what they would doing.
Ruffnut then nearly sat down and began playing with her braids. "My braids are like little Zipplebacks, see. Rawr-rawr. Yeaaah. Even the mould spots look like eyes. So cute. They even have little horns and everything just like Barf and Belch. Except me and Barf can't stand Belch so they're really just Barfs. It's warm in here."
She then got to her feet and leaned against the door. "I know what you're thinking. You've never had a prisoner this hot."
Grimmel was started to get more annoyed by the minute and Ruffnut sat back down.
"All the boys love me," she continued. "Except Eret, who totally lost his chance. That ship has sailed, boys, sorry. And Hiccup is practically married to that round head, Astrid. And Ragnar's into Berserker Heather. But Snotlout and Fishlegs, they're basically in my hand."
Grimmel's pencil then snapped and was finding it very difficult to control his temper.
Ruffnut was now swinging upside down. "Just can't choose, you know. Snotlout's a beef cake but almost too pretty, you know. Sometimes I think he's more in love with himself than me. There's only room for one beauty in this relationship." She then laughed and walked towards the cage bars that contained a Scuttleclaw. "Fishlegs would keep me alive longer if I had to eat one of them. Stranded on some glacier somewhere. But he never shuts up about dragons. Do you hate it when people never stop talking?"
"Yyyeeessss, I dooo," said Grimmel looking he was about to strangle her with his bare hands.
"Bleh, bleh, bleh. It's sooo boring," said Ruffnut as she swung in her cell.
"Can't we just feed her to your dragons?" Griselda asked.
"What do you have to eat around here?" Ruffnut asked. "I'm allergic to fish, you should know that. That's all they have in that stupid new island." Grimmel then suddenly looked up upon what Ruffnut had just said. "Do you have any clams? They're like little mouths with slimy food inside that's already chewed like the way Mom used to do it."
"Enough!" Grimmel roared tossing everything off the table.
"Until I turned twelve and she was like… 'CHEW YOUR OWN FOOD!' And I was like, 'NO I DON'T LIKE IT!'"
"Most annoying creature ever to cross my path!" Grimmel growled as he opened the cell door.
"Awww…" said Ruffnut taking it as a compliment and began stroking her hair. There to add to his annoyance she then began poking him face with her Zippleback braids. "Oops. You let the dragons out. Gonna get ya. Gonna get ya. No, this one's gonna get ya."
Grimmel stopped her by blocking his face.
Chaghatai then opened the Scuttleclaw's cage.
"Take him and go, please!" Grimmel yelled tossing her helmet at her. "I beg you! The Deathgrippers will have to forego dinner."
Ruffnut looked at him disgusted. "Ewww. You feed your dragons… dragons?"
"Go!" Grimmel roared.
"Where's your bathroom?" Ruffnut asked. "I gotta…" She then made a clicking noise and Grimmel slowly turned towards her with a murderous look. "Okay! Gods! No wonder you have grey hair."
She then placed her helmet on and sat on the Scuttleclaw's back.
"Stress is not good for you," she said and took off. "Ha ha ha! So long, losers!"
Grimmel merely looked up at her with a devious look.