Pep Talk
"Attention, ladies and gentlemen!" Hiccup called through his megaphone "You currently have two of my friends as your prisoners. I'd like them back"
He gestured to Merida behind him "My flame-haired friend here is holding what is known as a Red Death" "A weapon of my own design" he added smugly.
"What?" North muttered confusedly
"If you don't hand over our friends she will, and I quote 'Tear your ship a new one. A very big new one'" he threatened
"He is bluffing" North decided
"I'll give you to the count of five.
"One..."
"Uh, North. He's not bluffing" Jack worriedly said
"Two..."
"Of course he is" North argued
"Three..."
Jack sprung forward, and knocked the pilot out his seat, and took control of the radio.
"Four..."
"Hiccup!" Jack shouted over the radio "Hiccup! It's me, we're fine, we figured it out!"
"Oh hey Jack" came Hiccup's alarmingly cheery reply "How you doing"
"You call that figured out?!" Hiccup questioned "You want us to rob the people that just kicked our asses?!"
Jack and Rapunzel had managed to convince their wannabe saviours to come aboard the Sleigh. They all now sat down in a circle in the lower hangar, where Jack was trying to organise a plan.
"Yes" said Jack in a blunt tone
"That's stupid"
"You wanna talk about what's stupid? How about rescuing us by blowing us up!"
"We were only going to blow you up if they didn't turn you over" Merida defended
"How were they meant to do that when you only gave them five seconds?!"
"Okay, I didn't have the time to work out the finer details" Hiccup snapped. He turned to Toothless "This is what I get for trying to do the good thing for once"
Toothles just grunted with rolling eyes and shrugged shoulders "Don't be a smartass bud, you still went along with it"
"Guys" Rapunzel interuppted "What's important is that we get the mercenaries to the Western Kingdom to stop Drago"
"So what, North can just sell it one to someone even worse?" Hiccup questioned
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it" Jack answered
"We have to stop Drago" Rapunzel repeated "Billions of people will die if we don't"
"How?" Hiccuo asked
"I have a plan" said Jack
"You have a plan?" Hiccup repeated questioningly
"Yes"
"I don't believe you"
"I have... part of a plan" Jack admitted
"What percentage of a plan?" Merida asked
"You don't get to ask questions after that stunt you pulled back in Neverland" Rapunzel snapped
"I just helped save you guys!" Merida argued
"Mer, we have already established that destroying the ship that we were on does not qualify as saving" Jack explained
"When was this established?" Merida demanded
"Less than five minutes ago!" Jack answered, a disbelieving look on his face
"Sorry, I wasn't listening" Merida sheepishly replied
Rapunzel groaned with frustration.
"She's right though, what percentage?" Hiccup pressed the question
"I don't know, twelve?"
"Twelve percent?" Hiccup repeated, before breaking into hysterical laughter
Jack groaned and rubbed his temples "Could that laugh be any more fake?"
"That's not a plan" Hiccup cried
"It's barely a concept" Rapunzel agreed
"You're taking his side now?" Jack asked
A whine from Toothless spurred a confused reaction from Hiccup.
"What do you mean it's still better than eleven percent. Twelve's still a bad number out of 100%"
"Thank you Toothless" thanked Jack, petting the dragon's neck "You see, Toothless is the only one here that has a clue" he gestured to the dragon, only to look away facepalming as Toothless took that moment to lick his privates.
"Look, guys, come on" Jack began in a more subdued tone "North is going to be here in like, two seconds to hear this really good plan of ours. I need your help. I look around, and do you what I see? Losers" A poisonous look from Merida made him stumble on his words "I mean, I see people who have lost things in life, and we have, we all have. We've lost our homes, our families, our chances of having normal lives. And usually life takes more than it gives but today is different. Today life has given us a chance"
"To do what?" Merida asked
"To take a stand" answered Jack "To stand strong in the face of madmen like Drago. I for one am not gonna just stand by and watch him wipe out an entire civilisation"
"But Jack" Hiccup interuppted, his voice unusually quiet "What you're asking, stopping Drago, it's suicide. You're asking us to die"
Jack just stood there, his bravado spent "Yeah, I guess I am" he admitted, defeated.
He sat down on a box, his head hanging low, not looking anyone in the eye.
"Jack" Rapunzel spoke up. Jack raised his head to stare into her emerald eyes
"I have spent my entire life surrounded by those I hate and distrust" she continued. She gave a faint smile, "I would be honoured to die among friends"
Merida was next to speak up "You're a good lad Jack, you've show bravery worthy of the Dunbroch people. I will fight alongside you, and no matter what happens, I shall find peace"
The three turned expectantly to Hiccup and Toothless. Lab experiment and dragon looked at each other and seemed to share a silent conversation before Hiccup spoke "What the hell, I have no idea how long I going to live anyway"
Toothless flashed a gumsy grin at the group. Jack couldn't help but smile back.
"Now then" Hiccup said, interuppting the moment "What is the plan?"