Plans
Hiccup's head twitched slightly at the word. Thorn hoped she'd found the one thought that would override his overwhelming desire for self- sacrifice; the thought of escape was a powerful one for him, as it was a way to get his friends out of danger.
"Yeah, but how?" Astrid asked.
"Uh... I was kinda hoping we could all figure something out. How far can you all move about?"
The four of them strained at their bonds; Thorn's struggles were exacerbating her already raw wrists, but for escape, there wasn't much she wouldn't do.
"I can only go thith far," Toothless said, stretching out his short legs and extending his arms as far as possible. He could almost toe the nearest chair.
"I might be able to reach that bag... dammit!" Hiccup's exclamation was directed at his missing limb, for had not been missing, he would have been able to hook the bay and grab some of the stuff within it. Maybe some food. The four of them were becoming more famished and parched as the hours went on, and it was evident- all four of them now spoke in softer, rasping voices, often licking their bone-dry lips to try and suck an atom more moisture from their sandpaper tongues. The low grumble of an empty stomach was also frequent, and the protests grew louder as the time passed.
"Can any of you guys see my leg?" he asked. The four of them looked around frantically, searching for a glimpse of the exquisitely crafted meld of wood and metal. Thorn's eagle eyes were the fastest and the most keen, and so she was the first to cry out, "there!" and motion with her foot to a spot right next to Snotlout. It was almost completely concealed under a discarded coat, but the metal foot was just visible between the folds of material.
"Great. How are we going to get to that?" Hiccup said despondently.
"It may not be as difficult as you think," Astrid replied. "Unlike all you shorties, I actually have some height, and I bet I could reach it, easy. The only problem is grabbing it and getting it back here without waking him up."
"Ah. Then maybe you should just leave it. Maybe he'll knock it when he gets up tomorrow, and then tomorrow night we can grab it."
"Do you really think we'll all still be here tomorrow?" Thorn asked sharply, her stark truth cutting through the noise and silencing them all instantly. "I mean, it's not like he's going to give us food or anything. One of us has to be the first."
"Oh, what a sunny attitude you've got there," Hiccup replied sarcastically.
"I'm just being honest with myself. There's no use being optimistic all the time because you can never see a problem until it runs up and smacks you in the face. And I'm pretty sure that when death smacks you in the face, it's not a slap you'll be getting back up from quickly."
"Well, maybe you should keep your pessimism to yourself. We don't all need to hear it."
"But then how would you know your plan was stupid if I didn't point it out beforehand?"
"That's the point. I wouldn't have known, we'd have gone ahead with it, and everything-"
"Would have gone wrong," Thorn finished.
"No, I was going to say that everything would have been fine. You just had to go in and throw a spanner in the works, didn't you?"
"Me? You're blaming me now? Well, if you hadn't turned up in the first place then none of this would have happened. If your stupid mother hadn't got herself killed in that car crash, and you didn't have a train wreck of a father- son relationship, and if you still had two legs, then I'd be living my life completely oblivious to everything like this. I'd be happy. I wouldn't be hurting. I wouldn't be chained to this stupid radiator, about to starve to death because of something I didn't do. No, Hiccup, it's all your fault."
"Thorn?" Astrid and Hiccup both said in disbelief. Thorn's face was a mixture of eclectic rage and unbridled fury, and her reddened expression was directed only one way.
"What did you just do?" Astrid asked, watching as one friend's explosion had blown apart the other. She watched as the previously active Hiccup froze once more, his breathing slowing and his expression clouding over, leaving no trace of his personality in his outward appearance.
"Oh, my god. I didn't... it's just that we're all here, and it's getting a bit too much... I didn't mean any of it. Hiccup?"
Hiccup just sat there, glassy eyes staring at nothing.
"Hiccup, I know I can't take back what I just said, but I really didn't mean them. If you hadn't come, then I'd be living in a dark world devoid of laughter and love and happiness. I'd be alone and afraid, without anyone to step with me through the dark times and lead me into the lighter ones, then live and laugh with me through those better times. I don't care that I'm stuck here, possibly dying, because I'm stuck here with you, and there's no place I'd rather be than by your side."
"I'm glad I'm here too," Astrid said softly.
"Me too," Toothless added.
Toothless' words were followed by a long and tense silence. No voices were heard; only the wheezing and rasping of each inhalation and exhalation from the teens. The three of them watched Hiccup expectantly, waiting for what he would say.
Finally, he spoke. "I'm... glad to be here with you too. There's nowhere I'd rather be either. If you guys want to get yourselves stuck to a radiator and end up starving to death, then I'll be right there with you." His final comment drew a few small laughs from the teens. They had been so close to emotional breakdown that they had needed something light-hearted to bring them back from the brink of collapse.
"I wish I could hug you guys right now," Hiccup added once the laughter had subsided.
"Me too. But let's save it for when we get out of here, yeah?" Thorn replied with a smile. She was glad to see that her angry outburst had already seemingly been forgotten.
"Now, Astrid, why don't you try and get me my leg?"
At his words, Astrid stretched out her foot, tentatively reaching for Hiccup's leg. She couldn't quite reach the first time, and had to pull in her leg slowly and readjust her position, lying as flat to the ground as she could, her shoulders being pulled uncomfortably close together by the ties.
The second time, the tip of her trainer just nudged the metal. The coat dislodged slightly, and the rustle of the material seemed deafening in the silent, moonlit room. Astrid froze, and they all held their breath. Not a single person dared to make any sort of noise. Their eyes were riveted on Snotlout, who just kept on breathing slowly and deeply, his slumber deep and undisturbed.
"That was close," Thorn said. Her voice was barely even a whisper. The noise, which was probably no louder than the gentle puffs of wind that gusted outside, had left them terrified for their safety.
"Uh huh," Astrid breathed back. She began to move her foot once more, inching ever closer painstakingly slowly once more. This time, she tried a different tack. Placing her foot firmly down on the coat, she then gently began to drag it back towards her in the hope that the prosthetic would come too. The coat began to slip across the floor, making a soft swooshing noise as it did so. The prosthetic was mostly underneath the coat but, to Astrid's delight, a corner of the coat just rested underneath Hiccup's leg. She allowed a faint smile to break through her frown of concentration, her foot still firmly pressed down, guiding the coat and prosthetic towards her.
She got not more than half way before the prosthetic slipped from the sparse coat corner and rolled onto the ground. It clinked slightly before coming to rest, and this slight disturbance sent their eyes frantically towards the sight of the sleeping Snotlout. Luck was on their side- Snotlout was a heavy sleeper, and it would take a much louder noise than that to wake him.
Collectively sighing with relief, Astrid tried to reach for the prosthetic with her feet, grabbing it in a pincer movement and lifting it just clear of the linoleum. She carefully brought it close to Hiccup, swivelling around carefully, and dropped it into his lap.
"Yes. You did it!" Hiccup exclaimed triumphantly, before addressing a problem he had not considered until now.
"Uh... how am I supposed to get it on?"
"Oh. Well... if you wait until one of us gets free, then we can free you guys as well," Thorn replied.
"And how are you planning on freeing yourself?"
Thorn looked around her. There wasn't anything that she could use to break the ties; Snotlout had ensured that by moving everything well out of their reach. Or so he thought.
She looked back over at Hiccup, and at once an idea leapt to the front of her mind.
"Doesn't your leg have nails in it? For grip?"
"Yeah, but I don't know how sharp they are."
"Can you get it over to me?" Thorn asked eagerly. Hiccup hesitantly nodded before trying to grip the prosthetic between his legs. He hissed when he applied pressure to the prosthetic, gently dropping it back down onto the floor with the barest of sounds.
"I can't lift it. And even if I could, I wouldn't be able to get it to you anyway; my leg's not long enough."
"Here, let me get it for you," Astrid broke in, deftly reaching out and grabbing the prosthetic. She lifted it up, then asked Thorn, "Where do you want it?"
"Somewhere near my hands would be good. I want to use the nails to saw through the ties."
"Okay, I'll try." Astrid gently manoeuvred her feet, tightly pressed against Hiccup's leg, towards Thorn's bound hands. As she was about to begin to move it down into position, it jolted slightly, Astrid's feet lost their grip, and the prosthetic came down to earth with a bang. Astrid gasped, sure that the noise would wake Snotlout. She was right- he definitely seemed to be slowly waking.
"God, this is turning into a bit of a disaster," she said.
"We need a plan, and we need to get out of here," Hiccup replied urgently. "Thorn, you start getting yourself out; just make sure you listen to the plan too. Go!"
At his words, Thorn shuffled round awkwardly, trying to bring the nail into contact with the ties binding her hands to the radiator. She continued to struggle frantically whilst the others finalised their plan.
"Right. As soon as Thorn's got herself out, she's going to free us, too. After that, we take Snotlout's gun and the supplies he's not lying on, and we leave. Then, we get the key and lock him in here. Sound good?"
"What happenth if he waketh up?" Toothless asked.
"Well, that's why we have to work fast. That noise definitely disturbed him, and we have no idea about how much longer he'll be sleeping. Hopefully, we'll have enough time to get out of here."
"You're basing your whole plan on the hope that Snotlout doesn't wake up?" Astrid said skeptically.
"Uh, yeah, I guess I am. But if you've got any better plans, I'd love to hear them." Hiccup looked at her expectantly. Astrid looked down, shaking her head minutely.
She looked over at Thorn. "How are you doing?"
"I think I've managed to line it up. Is it cutting through?" she replied.
Astrid peered at Thorn's hands closely, craning her neck to get a better view. "Um… yeah, I think it's working…" She was unsure because of the oblique angle her head was tilted at.
"Just keep working at it. We'll see if it's working if the tie breaks!" Hiccup said encouragingly.
From there, it was a tense and silent wait for Thorn to make progress. They sat, attention only half on Thorn's progress through the tie, staring intently at Snotlout and hoping that he would stay asleep for those few extra moments after they had freed themselves to allow them to make their escape. As more and more time passed, their attention was also drawn to the windows, and the pale dawn beginning to creep closer and drive away the dark.
When the sun's first light lanced into the room, casting millions of tiny dust particles in its ray, the teens looked quickly to Snotlout, hoping that the extra brightness did not penetrate too far into his semi- consciousness. Thorn was still sawing quickly away, her movements sped up by the appearance of the sun.
"Are you almotht there?" Toothless asked nervously. He was winding his fingers around and around each other in anticipation of freedom. His words were greeted by a gentle snap, and the sudden emergence of Thorn's hands from behind her back. She grinned at the group before looking down and rubbing her wrists.
"Wow, that feels so good," she whispered, before getting slowly to her feet and stretching her cramped legs.
"We're still tied up, you know," Hiccup pointed out, interrupting Thorn from her luxuriating.
"Oh, right, sorry," she replied, hastily grabbing Hiccup's prosthetic and starting to saw through Hiccup's ties. Having two hands in front of her made the task much easier, and Hiccup's hands were soon free. He pulled his arms away immediately, before wincing and inhaling sharply.
"You okay?" Toothless asked, concerned.
"Yeah, fine, I just remembered my arm." He turned to face Toothless, who saw the red mess that was Hiccup's arm and flinched away. Hiccup pretended not to notice, but turned his left side away from Toothless and towards the others. He looked at Thorn, who was just standing there, staring out of the window.
"What are you waiting for?" he hissed. "Get the others out before he wakes up!" Thorn, galvanised into action, quickly bent down and began hacking at Astrid's bonds. Hiccup shuffled over, and the four of them had all their attention focused on the task.
At least, their attention was focused on the task until they heard the cold click of a gun cocking and a cruel voice speaking, "And what do we have here?" Thorn had frozen where she stood, Hiccup's prosthetic still poised over the bonds securing Astrid to the radiator. She didn't dare to turn her head and face her captor.
Snotlout leaned in closer. "Are you trying to escape?" he asked, as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world.
"What do you think?" Hiccup replied scathingly. He reached towards Thorn, gesturing for his prosthetic; Thorn slowly moved her arm to hold it out to him, but the leg was intercepted by a meaty fist and snatched from Hiccup's grasping hands.
"I think I'll be having that, thank you very much," he said, lifting the prosthetic clear of the group. He had seemingly forgotten that two of their number were, in fact, no longer secured to the radiator; Thorn moved first, following the path of Hiccup's prosthetic with her body as well as her eyes. She tried to duck under his arm to retrieve it, but was only rewarded with a stunning blow to the head from Snotlout's elbow. She stumbled, falling to her knees mere inches from the prosthetic, but her mind was fuzzy and her senses confused. Swaying slightly, she tried to reach out for it, but only succeeded in falling face down onto the ground.
"You're not getting it," Snotlout said to the face down figure. He shoved his hand into his pocket and brought out another tie. "Put this on," he ordered Hiccup. Hiccup took the tie and shuffled back across to the radiator, turning it down surreptitiously as he did so. Thankfully, Snotlout didn't notice. He cinched it tight, at which point Snotlout had to take his eyes from the girls for a moment; unfortunately for them, even though Snotlout's eyes wavered, the black single eye of the gun remained resolutely pointed at them. He quickly fastened Hiccup to the radiator, standing and moving once he had done so in one graceful motion.
He moved towards Astrid and bent down, finishing the job that Thorn had started, but had never completed. As soon as her wrists snapped free she whirled and tried to strike Snotlout, but coming face to face with the gun barrel stopped her cold.
Snotlout grabbed Astrid's arm and hauled her to her feet. "Oh, your skin is so smooth, your face so unblemished. Sure you don't want to change your mind about me?" he asked, his face contorted into a malicious grin. Astrid shook her head firmly, to which Snotlout only dragged her towards Thorn and said, "Get her up. You're coming with me." Out of deference to the deadly weapon tightly grasped in Snotlout's fist, she gently took Thorn's arm and, with some encouragement, got her to her feet. Once she was there, a little unsteady but otherwise unharmed, Snotlout led them both to the locked door of the classroom. On the way he instructed Thorn and Astrid to pick up as many bags as they could carry. Soon, their arms were sagging from the weight of food and textbooks. Snotlout placed Hiccup's prosthetic on top of one of the piles, like a comical flag.
Nobody laughed but Snotlout, his hysterical cries echoing around the room and whispering back to them long after Snotlout himself had silenced.
He yelled out to whoever might be sitting and waiting for his emergence from the room. "I'm coming out now, and I've got two hostages with me. Don't try and come forward, because I will shoot them. They're going to stand on either side of me, so you won't be able to hit me without hitting them. I'm going to walk across the hall and into the classroom opposite, then I'm going to lock myself in there. I am also locking the door to this room so you cannot get in and rescue the other two. If you have heard and understood, bang something three times." A few seconds passed before a faint banging noise could be heard. The three teens by the door counted the bangs. One, two, three.
Snotlout turned to the others. "I'll be back in a moment," he said, before turning the key in the lock and pulling open the door. He pulled Astrid close to one side of him and Thorn to the other, then quickly crossed the narrow corridor, entering the opposite room. Flicking the light switch, a poky old classroom was revealed; it was seldom used because of its small size, and its age meant that there was an abundance of pipes and beams to secure hostages to.
Snotlout pushed the two girls over to the nearest pipe and kicked their legs out from beneath them, sending them to the floor. "Don't think for a moment that just because you're girls I won't be more lenient with you," he said menacingly. "Now, tie yourselves up there. Use these," he added, throwing them both a new tie before training the weapon on them. They obeyed, tying one wrist securely to the pipe; after what had happened previously, Thorn did not make the mistake of tying it loosely again. Snotlout inspected the ties, then added two more of his own to securely fasten the girls to the pipe. Grabbing the multitude of bags the girls had collected, he backed away slowly, not taking his eyes of either of them for a moment. When his left hand, wandering behind him, found a chair, he settled into it, before leaning forward and grabbing the first book he came across in the bags now strewn across the floor. Returning back to his upright position, he slouched and opened the book to its first pages.
Looking over the top of the book for a moment, he added, "Don't go anywhere."
A/N: Yes, Snotlout is going to remain very OOC for the rest of this section. But there is a point to it all, I promise. Don't forget- I love to hear what you think, whether good or bad!