Chapter Twenty-One: Shifting Allegiances
Hiccup had given up struggling as Hookfang dragged him along another mirror-smooth stone corridor deeper into the mountain and was marshalling all his energies to finding a way to escape-or at least, a way to resist whatever they had planned. He had already run through everything he knew about resisting torture and hypnosis-twice-and nothing had sounded especially promising. He tilted his head and grimaced: there were red cuts in his skin from where the Red Queen's claws had bitten into his neck…and one deeper puncture where one had jabbed deep into his flesh. The puncture burned and his vision was beginning to spin: he guessed he had been drugged.
"What did she give me?" he asked blearily, blinking. Hookfang growled in his throat as they rounded another corner.
"The Red Queen's sting can be anything," he warned the young agent. "Each of her claws contains a different venom…but I guess she gave you one that potentiates the effects of the conditioning."
"Oh," Hiccup murmured, casting a look at Toothless. The man had only spoken to the young agent once since he had abandoned Hiccup for the Queen to explain his fate and he almost refused to look at him. The jet-haired man was walking ahead, his steps stiff and brisk. Hookfang leaned close.
"Look, kid-try not to resist the conditioning," he advised the prisoner. "They say it hurts a lot less if you just let it happen…"
"And y'know this for sure?" Hiccup slurred. There was an awkward pause as Hookfang shrugged.
"Sure's pretty strong, kid. Call it more of a hunch…"
"So you want me to surrender on a hunch it won't hurt so much when doing that will wipe my memory of everything since the explosion?" he asked sarcastically. "And allow her to use me to assassinate the President, my Dad and Alvin? How-how did you think I was going to take that?" The big dragon gave a grin.
"Like that, kid," he admitted. "Good luck." And he pulled Hiccup into a neat chamber the walls smooth and the light harsh and brilliant. What looked like an especially unpleasant dentist's chair was waiting with what appeared to be a headset with goggles hanging limp and ready. Two men in the deep red suits of Changewings, golden eyes tattooed on their foreheads, stood professionally by a computer console but they looked up when the prisoner was brought in and one walked forward.
"She has explained her requirements," he said and decorously gestured to the chair. "Please secure him." Before he could resist, Hiccup was dragged to the chair, the ties around his wrists were sliced free and he was slammed into the chair, his arms forced onto the arm-rests and wide restraints fastened tight.
"Wow. You could have just asked," he replied, tugging at his bonds. A restraint was fastened across his legs and another across his neck-not so tight that it threatened to strangle him but enough to stop him moving his head away as the headset was forced down on his head, his eyes covered by the visor. "Um hello? Claustrophobic?"
"Open your eyes, boy and it won't hurt," the smooth voice said as a fierce light seemed to sear through his eyelids-which were firmly screwed closed.
"Promise?"
"Of course, my dear," the voice said and Hiccup took a shuddering breath.
"Um…can't actually believe you," he replied as the light brightened and he grimaced. Unwillingly, he opened his eyes for a moment-and the swirling light began to overtake his senses, even as the words began to echo in his head.
"You belong to the Queen. You are her subject. Nothing else matters. Not family. Not friends. Not Berk. Only the Queen…"
But if that's the case, then I lose everything that matters, he thought desperately. Sure, most of my life sucks and my father actively hates me and has disowned me totally. But I have done some things that I would never have imagined I could do. I got out of the collapsed AI6 building. I was in a shoot-out with an assassin. We jumped out off a bus. I was kidnapped and tortured and then rescued by Astrid. And Astrid was…is…kind of nice to me…
"You belong to the Queen. You are her subject. Nothing else matters. Not family. Not friends. Not Berk. Only the Queen…"
Dad always says I was hard-headed and stubborn and Thor, I hope he's right…because my only hope is to be the most rock-headed viking imaginable. I cannot let them take my memories. Because then I lose Astrid…Astrid talking to me, Astrid in my apartment, Astrid stroking my head…Astrid kissing me. I have loved her for years and I can't lose her. No matter what it costs me, I cannot forget…
"You belong to the Queen. You are her subject. Nothing else matters. Not family. Not friends. Not Berk. Only the Queen…"
Okay…so the specifications for the Svendsen and Larssen automatic are 0.357 inch ammunition (9mm), weight 1766g, total length 269.2mm with 152.4mm barrel length, firing speed 522m/s, classic cartridge 9 rounds, service variant up to 30 rounds (combat derivation)…
Thor, my head hurts. But I can still see Astrid. Odin, let Astrid be my anchor because I don't want to fail Dad and Mom…especially Mom…by betraying the service and killing for them.
"You belong to the Queen. You are her subject. Nothing else matters. Not family. Not friends. Not Berk. Only the Queen…"
The Norns determine the fates of men and gods, dealing out as much good as evil without reason, prejudice or interest. Urdr represents the past, Verdandi the present and Skuld the future…
Gods, this hurts. I could understand why I should just give in. At least he would finally respect me…for the last moment of his life…
…or see me as the failure he always knew I was. The disgrace of a son, finally shaming twenty generations of Haddocks. And that sounds ridiculous in itself. I mean, most of them were loud, violent and stupid. My father values strength of body over courage, steadfastness and determination. He blames me for Mom dying when he sent her on the mission. But if I die here…he will never know…but I will. And maybe that is the point. The one person I have to impress, to be true to is…me. Because my father has made plain he loathes me.
But Astrid doesn't. And I love her, even though she doesn't love me. And if I die here, I will die loving her. And I will never surrender the times we have spent together…no matter what that madwoman wants.
The light intensified, his eyes and mind burning.
"You belong to the Queen. You are her subject. Nothing else matters. Not family. Not friends. Not Berk. Only the Queen…"
Astrid…
Hiccup screamed….
oOo
The private jet rose from Bugla Airport, piloted steadily by Cameron as Astrid stared through the window at the city vanishing into the low cloud beneath them. Every fibre of her being was screaming at her to force them to turn round and fly to Dragon Island, to storm an island filled with ferocious warriors under the control of the evil Red Queen to rescue Hiccup.
Because he had done everything to save her, everything to protect her and he had trusted her. And he had made her something to protect her while she was undercover, the purse that had saved her life and now nestled in the bag she had stuffed under her seat. And while First Minister Bogcastle had them listed in her entourage as assistants, Astrid was not sure what to do next.
What would Hiccup do?
She closed her eyes. He would have rescued her and never left her behind…but she had no choice. All she could do was make sure she completed the mission: freed Eret, stopped Dagur and prevented the assassination. Aimlessly, she flipped the compliments card in her hand and stared at the symbol. It was very familiar, from a tattoo on someone they had thought of as a friend.
I promise you, Hiccup, I will get you back…and if you are lost, I will tear Dragon island apart to make them pay. Starting with you, Toothless…
oOo
The light abruptly snapped off but Hiccup couldn't notice, his mind aflame with pain and the words reverberating around his skull. Someone was screaming and as he realised his throat was really sore, he also realised that it was him…just as hands tore the headset off, the light bruising his bloodshot and streaming eyes. Breaths were heaving through his exhausted shape as a dark silhouette loomed closer. Warm hands rested on his bruised cheeks and bleary emerald eyes looked up.
"Wha…" he gasped as hands ripped the restraints free. An arm tugged him to his feet but his legs immediately buckled and he found himself tossed over someone's shoulder in a fireman's lift.
"It's okay," a familiar voice assured him. "I'm sorry it took so long…"
"T-Tooth…"
The dragon gave his brilliant grin as he stared at the unconscious Changewing operators.
"I just hope they haven't scrambled your brain beyond all redemption, Hiccup, because you were really giving them a fight back there," the dragon told him, lifting a foot and kicking the hard-drive of the device hard enough to crack it. A second kick smashed it open and a third shattered the contents. "They had the damned thing on maximum-which could have killed you. How much do you remember?"
"Sp-specifications for the Svendssen and L-Larssen semi-automatic handgun are…are…can't…I-I…"
"Distraction technique-very clever," the dragon complimented him, heading for the door. "It focusses your mind and leaves very little way in for the conditioning to take hold…"
"You belong to the Queen. You are her subject. Nothing else matters. Not family. Not friends. Not Berk. Only the Queen…"
"I-I…don't think…"
"What do you remember from the last few days?" Toothless asked him determinedly, speeding into the corridor and heading deeper into the mountain, away from the Throne Room and the main entrance, his rapid run almost soundless and very smooth. "Anything…"
"The…Red…Queen…" Each word was a hoarse gasp, as if torn from unwilling lips.
"Anything else? Anyone?"
"Um…"
"Blonde? Blue eyes?" Toothless's tone was becoming concerned as they turned a corner and passed through a pair of very heavy armoured doors.
"F-Fishlegs?"
"Thor, no," Toothless murmured. "Gods, I had hoped you would be able to hang onto her…"
"A-As-Astrid?" The word was a small sigh, the tension almost leaving the limp shape and Toothless carefully lowered him to a sagging sitting position and crouched in front of him. A hand lifted Hiccup's chin and stared into his ashen face, tears still sliding down the colourless skin. "Astrid?" The dragon nodded.
"Yes, Astrid," the dragon said to him, his voice soft. "What do you remember of her?"
He wanted to say that they were both the victims of Snotlout's actions, that she deserved to be an agent and that she was the closest that he had to a friend in AI6…
…crawling through the ducts, preventing her from being harmed by the booby traps on the external grille…Astrid wearing his training gear and running for a bus with someone shooting at them…Astrid comforting him in the hospital…Astrid knocking out a huge man in a rocky cell…Astrid looking amazing in her evening gown and hanging onto him extremely possessively…
…Astrid kissing him…
"Amazing…she's amazing…and she rides a motorbike like a Valkyrie…" he mumbled and his lips lifted in a small smile. "She really kicks ass…but she's a good friend…" And then his head sagged.
"You belong to the Queen. You are her subject. Nothing else matters. Not family. Not friends. Not Berk. Only the Queen…"
"Stay with me!" Toothless growled, shaking him sharply. Rebellious emerald eyes fluttered open.
"My head hurts…and Dad won't see me anyway…" Hiccup mumbled. "Family doesn't matter. Friends don't matter…"
"Friends are the family you choose for yourself!" Toothless told him urgently. "Your family is pretty crappy-anyone could see that! But your friends have come through for you, time and again. They look to you. And Astrid looks at you…as more than just a friend. So stay with me, Hiccup."
"Just using me," Hiccup accused him blearily, closing his eyes again. He could still see the coruscating lights, burning painfully bright whenever he tried to think about Astrid. But she was worth the pain…
"No," Toothless breathed. "She is. The Red Queen is the enemy. LOOK AT ME! She's going to get you to clear the way for her to take over the Archipelago! And kill your father. And if you do that, there is no way you can ever persuade him that you are worthy of his affections, of his pride…"
"Never loved me," Hiccup mumbled softly.
"But Astrid does," Toothless told him and pulled him to his feet. Hiccup sagged against him. "Work with me, Hiccup. She knows you're better than this! So do I…"
An alarm sounded, the shrill howl jarring through the young agent's aching head and he whined in pain, trying to cover his ears. Toothless pulled his arm across his shoulders and began to half-walk, half-drag the young agent deeper into the wide room.
"Keep going!" Toothless urged him, glancing nervously over his shoulder. "They've found you've escaped…"
"Whoo me…" Hiccup managed in a tired voice, the trace of sarcasm enough to have Toothless casting him a glance and a small approving smile.
"So we need to get out of here before every damned Nadder guard comes after our tails…" he added as they stumbled up a steep flight of rocky stairs into a wide chamber that seemed to be an aircraft hanger. Hiccup's brows twitched and he frowned.
"Our…?"
"I'm coming with you, buddy," the dragon said seriously. "This is too much. I think I'm officially quitting! Now come on-Hookfang has a Speedstinger class aircraft commandeered and coincidentally refuelled and ready for take-off…" Hiccup managed a grin, though his head was almost exploding with pain.
"This time…you can drive," he mumbled. "I've had a busy day."
oOo
The black stretch limousine glided elegantly up the white gravel drive that led from the public road to the splendour of Alvin Forraeder's mansion just north of Berk City. The grounds were manicured, with perfect lawns, classical planting and a huge semi-circle of rose-beds guarding the white gravel car park that spread before the front of the four-story Georgian-style building. To each side, the grounds rose gently to the limits of the forest, while behind the building, the line of hills rose to Raven's Point. The driver stopped directly in front of the main door and killed the engine before scooting out and decorously opening the door to allow a blonde shape to emerge.
"Don't overdo it," Cami hissed and Tuffnut grinned, squaring his shoulders.
"Your wish is my command," he murmured and the First Minister's daughter rolled her eyes.
"I don't know how you put up with them," she commented to her companions as they emerged into the grey and slightly damp afternoon. Cami was dressed in a fitted dress of deep sapphire, the pencil skirt skimming her knees, killer silver Louboutins and blonde hair loose over her shoulders. Her entourage were both in deep blue shirts, black bolero jackets and black knee-length pencil skirts, complimented by knee-length patent leather boots. The blonde with grey-blue eyes had her hair in three thick braids while the chestnut-haired young woman with sparkling blue eyes and perfect complexion looked annoyed.
"You have no idea," Astrid said, resisting the urge to fiddle with her shoulder-length chestnut wig. Alvin had been staring at her for a long time in Asgard and if she arrived with her sun bright blonde hair in her usual braid, he would certainly recognise her.
"Huh. You try being his sister," Ruff complained, scowling at her twin.
"Love you too, sis," Tuff the chauffeur said in a low voice and closed the door, then returned to the driver's seat. Beside him, his blonde, husky co-driver flipped open a laptop and rapidly hacked the First Minister of Outcast's system as Cami strode up to the main door, her assistants sashaying a yard behind her. Hips swinging, they followed Cami through the opened main door and down the red marble hall into the enormous four storey atrium. Savage was waiting, his mean face twisted into a scowl.
"Miss Bogcastle, it is an honour to have you deputising for the First Minister," Savage said ungraciously, "but First Minister Forraeder is in Berk, dealing with some arrangements for the ceremony. Could you come back later?" Cami grinned and planted her hands on her hips.
"If I recall, the First Minister had a really nice hunk of beefcake sitting by him at the poker table," Cami commented. "Can I talk to him in the meantime?" Savage looked horrified.
"I don't think that would be a good idea…" he spluttered. "He-he's laid up with the 'flu…" Cami smiled and linked her arm through Savage's his hazel eyes widening with shock.
"Then I'll talk to you," she purred, smiling knowingly. Her assistants walked to the far side of the atrium as the agent pushed Savage back into an antique chair and leaned forward. Ruff and Astrid shared a glance and Astrid glanced down the passage to the rest of the house.
"Got anything?" she murmured and there was a pause as Fishlegs accessed the internal security cameras.
"Eret is in the main gymnasium on the ground floor," Fishlegs revealed. "There are Outcast guards stationed along the passage and at the gymnasium door."
"Oh good,"Astrid muttered. "Any suggestions?"
"Tuff is having a little walk…to the main power junction into the complex," the hacker whispered through the com. "He suggested a Grimora would be suitable…"
"Lucky," Ruff grumbled. "Those are epic." Astrid nodded and the two young women headed rapidly down the corridor towards the gymnasium following the directions Fishlegs was whispering in their ears…until they met the first pair of Outcasts. Then the female twin allowed a broad grin to cover her face: the effect was extremely unsettling. "Hello, boys!" she leered. "Betcha want ta frisk me, huh?" The men shared a glance-and ran off. "Come back here, you losers!" Ruff yelled and chased after them while Astrid leaned forward, her hands apparently in her knees-but in reality, she was relieving the mini-stunner from the holster Cami had given her for the inside of her thigh, disguised under the skirt. The more experienced agent had grinned as she saw Astrid's confused expression.
"Why a pencil skirt. I mean, wouldn't it be easy to see?"
"You're not thinking like a man. You see a holster. They see a beautiful woman with an ass to kill for-and they won't look carefully to see the slight clues to the holster concealed under the skirt. Just sashay like your life depends on it, Astrid."
"But…I'm a serious agent…"
"So'm I, hon. But you use what you have as an agent. Eret seduces women because he has the looks and the skills. You have beauty and intelligence-but opponents see a pretty blonde and underestimate you. So you have a built-in disguise…"
"You know, Hiccup said the same thing to me."
"Smart boy. And we will get him back-but we need Eret first because he is a damned good agent-as well as a huge ass, by the way. Hiccup trusts you-and so do I. So let's get this done. For the service."
"For Hiccup."
There was a loud bang and the lights clicked out-as did the red lights on the security cameras. Astrid straightened up and sprinted down the corridor, coming upon the guards before they had a chance to react-and she shot them ruthlessly, watching them slump from the stun darts as she galloped past, swinging round the corner and shooting the guards at the door of the gymnasium. As they fell, steps thudded closer and Astrid snapped round, her stunner raised in a steady aim covering the corner as Ruff sprinted round. With a roll of her eyes, Astrid lowered the weapon slightly.
"I could have shot you!" she warned the other female but the twin just grinned at her.
"It took me ages to catch up with them so I could stun 'em!" she panted. "And there's no way I'm missing Mr Beefcake himself. Grrr! Me likey!"
"You are kidding, right?" Astrid huffed and kicked the door of the gymnasium in, diving and rolling as the two guards within lunged at her. Bouncing to her feet, she slammed a foot sideways and followed up with a brutal uppercut that laid the huge outcast out cold. Ruff howled and threw herself onto the other, who was wrestling the get the octopus-like twin off him, finally managing to prise her off his head. Ruff leered into his face and grinned.
"Sleep well!" she said and threw herself backwards as Astrid shot him.
An ironic round of applause broke the brief silence and both women turned to face Eret, sitting casually on the bench-press bench in vest and shorts, a smug expression on his face.
"Not bad," he commented as Astrid snapped her stunner up to point straight at him.
"What do you mean, not bad?" she hissed. "Better than you! You know what is going on and you've joined Alvin!" A thick black eyebrow arched.
"Maybe it seemed to be the only way to keep in the loop and close enough to do anything when I got news AI6 had gone," he told her coldly but she glared stonily back at him.
"Or you're a traitor and trying to fool us," she hissed. Eret folded his arms.
"I'm VA1, the best agent in the service," he said determinedly. "I'm not going to let the President be assassinated and Alvin the Treacherous take over Berk when he destroyed AI6!" Ruff stared from one to the other and finally exhaled in relief as Astrid lowered her gun.
"Do exactly what we say," she snapped. "Ruff-you got a door planned?" The twin grinned and reached into her fat braids and pulled out two finger-sized silver cylinders buried amid the thick hair.
"Mini-Quakens," she said smugly. "We're best heading straight through the front of the house. Because no one is going to miss these babies going off…" Astrid nodded curtly.
"Come on, Eret-time to go…" she said and sprinted after the female twin, relieved to hear him running steadily alongside her.
"Is that...Astrid?" he asked, his eyes sweeping over her disguised shape and she felt herself blush. "Loving the look, Ast. Maybe, when this is all done, we could finally get that drink you've been shy of having with me for years...?" She shook her head and accelerated after Ruff, who was weaving through the corridors, taking instructions from Fishlegs, who was guiding them using the trackers he had issued them-courtesy of Cameron. Finally, Ruff flicked the arming buttons on the mini-quaked grenades and yelled 'Loki!" before lobbing them against the blank wall ahead. They all dived for cover as a huge explosion shook the whole building and filled the room with dust and debris. And when they looked up, they were facing the white-gravel carpark, a flower bed which looked like a crater and roses scattered everywhere.
"Whoops!" Ruff whooped and scrambled over the fallen masonry and out of the buidling. Astrid clambered after her with Eret inches behind. They dived into the limousine as Cameron stormed down the stairs, her head held high and eyes flashing.
"HOW DARE YOU!" she yelled. "Trying to grope the First Minister's daughter! I'll have your misbegotten head, your slime!" Savage appeared behind her, a slap vivid on his cheek and scarlet lipstick smeared on his cheek.
"I-I never…" he protested, his arms flung wide in consternation and confusion. Tuff held the door open and Cami raced in, before Tuff slammed the door and floored it, the limousine fish-tailing round in the car park and roaring down the drive before Savage could even register that the power was out and there was an enormous hole in the front of the residence. The deep cover agent sat back in her seat as Eret sat behind her and took her hand, kissing it decorously.
"Eret Eretson," he said by way of introduction, staring into her bright blue eyes. "And I believe I have you to thank for my rescue…" The woman jerked her hand back and a smirk tilted her face.
"That's really what you think?" she asked scornfully. "You couldn't be more wrong. The ones you have to thank for this are Astrid Hofferson, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, Fish the Hacker and above all, Hiccup Haddock."
oOo
Consciousness returned with a start, causing Hiccup to jerk, his eyes snapping open in disorientation and confusion. He tensed, feeling straps restrain him and he began to struggle-until he realised that the straps were a four-point aircraft harness and he was sitting in the co-pilot seat.
"How are you feeling?"
The voice was strange and panic gripped him. He couldn't place where he was and he couldn't recall anything after being chewed out by Mildew and given his final warning. He blinked and the familiar sense of hopelessness washed over him. He had no idea where he was but he was sure it was some prank of the twins that would end up with him being probably fired and definitely humiliated once more.
"Hiccup? Do you know where you are?"
The voice was familiar and he looked up to see a tanned face with bright green eyes and topped by casual jet hair. The young agent blinked and nodded.
"Confused for a moment, Toothless," he managed, his scrambled brain managing to come up with the answers finally. "Where…?" The dragon steered them into a gentle bank to the right, the front window displaying the grey sea and the forested flanks of a mountainous island looming ahead. "Berk?" The other man shook his head, levelling them out again.
"Berserk," he explained.
"Why?" Hiccup asked, blinking and sitting a little more upright. Astrid, Astrid, Astrid. Remember Astrid. Whatever has happened, remember Astrid. But I have no idea what the Red Queen did to me. There are…gaps…and I couldn't remember anything after my appointment with Mildew for a moment.
What the Helheim did they do to my brain?
"No matter that I got you out of there, they had you strapped to their machine for a long time," Toothless said, his voice concerned. "And though you were still fighting, there is a possibility some of the conditioning may have taken…" Hiccup managed a lopsided smile.
"I think that's a given," he admitted dryly. "So not taking me back to Berk is a wise move. The further you keep me from the ceremony, the better…" Quietly, he clasped his hands and brought them up to his mouth. "Preferably locked up so I can't get out…" They banked again, this time dipping lower.
"That may not be a problem," Toothless said, eyes widening and jerked the aircraft sideways. Shrapnel exploded just in front of the cockpit as they spiralled into a dive.
"Hey! Little warning?" Hookfang growled from behind them and the young agent snapped his head round to see the large chestnut-haired man-and the solid shape of Meatlug-sitting in the other two seats int he small plane. The woman looked very anxious, her knuckles white as she gripped the straps of her harness ferociously.
"You tell the Nadders that!" Toothless snapped, jerking them rapidly to port. Tracer bullets narrowly missed their starboard wing. "These guys aren't playing!"
"Why are we going to Berserk?" Hiccup asked suddenly.
"There's someone who can help you here…I hope," Toothless admitted, banking hard to starboard. "Even though he's a very tricky customer…" An explosion just ahead of the aircraft threw the passengers around and Toothless wrenched them sideways. Hiccup extended his hand and frowned.
"Does this have any weapons?" Automatically, Toothless flipped a switch and a head's-up display appeared projected onto the display.
"Use the harness like a games console," he said briskly and Hiccup narrowed his emerald eyes, sitting up straighter and shaking his head to try to shift the muzziness. HIs trembling hands closed on the harness and the little aircraft spun round, bringing the attacking Nadder craft into range. And though he really didn't want to admit he had never played on a games console-because he had never had one as a child and couldn't afford one as an adult-he had practiced combat in the simulator at AI6. So his first shots missed the Nadder's port wing but the second stitched the wing and fuselage. The attacker rolled away, smoke streaming from the damage.
"Good shooting!" Hookfang commented.
"There are still more," Toothless pointed out as they looped the loop, narrowly missing a missile that almost skinned the cockpit and flipping round to allow Hiccup to tag another fighter and take it out of the fight-but as they were starting to hope that Toothless's instinctive piloting and Hiccup's accurate shooting would get them away, the entire ship wrenched sideways.
"What was that?" Hiccup asked in shock, his eyes seeing the rash of red lights spread all across the instrument console and already knowing what had happened. Suddenly, Toothless was fighting the stick as they began to dive down to the forested land below.
"We're hit!" Toothless confirmed. "We're going down?"
"You mean crashing?" Hiccup asked and the dragon gave a grim nod.
"Yes," he said, his knuckle white as he wrestled the controls. "We're about to crash on Berserk."