"Fine. I want the maps by tomorrow."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord." Hans watched as Fishlegs gave Lord Haddock a quick bow, and followed him as they both left. "Alright, I need to stop and send a message, let the others know we're going to meet them. Come on."

They proceeded to the Great Hall, the center of Berkian government. When they were just outside Fishlegs stopped.

"You go ahead and wait here. One of my assistants is in on our plan, so I'll have him run a message down to alert them that we're coming tonight. I'm also going to get the stuff we need."

Hans nodded in assent, and stood by the doors as Fishlegs went inside. He himself had barely had a chance to go inside, but from what Lord Haddock ordered, he knew the hall had been expanding to accommodate all kinds of functions, to exercise all manners of power. Hans stepped a little closer to the doorway, and suddenly two voices reached his ears.

"-know that we're going to be at his place a little while after nightfall. Can you send that?" This was Fishlegs' voice.

"Of course, I'll deliver it as soon as I can." This was a voice that Hans felt was familiar...but he couldn't quite place it.

"Thank you. Oh, and did you see where I put…" Fishlegs trailed off, and a short time later he finally emerged carrying a set of books and went down the steps back to the main village. Hans followed behind, quiet for a long time as they walked.

"So where are we going?" He finally asked.

"Back to my place," Fishlegs stated. "Where else? We have the maps to work on, remember?"

Another period of quiet "Are you sure Lord Haddock believed us? Do you think he-"

"Hans."

Fishlegs gave him a severe glance, which he understood to indicate silence. They finally reached his house, and when they both stepped inside Fishlegs closed the door, set down his materials, then went around shutting his windows until the space was dark.

"Hans," he said slowly, "you have to be very careful with what you say around here. We can't afford to be loose with words like you were!"

"I'm sorry," Hans breathed, "I didn't see anyone, so I thought…"

"It was a mistake, I understand." Fishlegs nodded. "But you have to understand, we only have a few mistakes we can spare. We think Hiccup's been recruiting spies to hunt down people like us. That's why we're so secretive: all it would take is a single clue to have him tearing apart Berk, trying to find us."

"Right, right." Hans felt like a fool now. "I'm just excited, I suppose."

"Alright, just be careful." Fishlegs took a flint and steel from a pouch around his waist, as well as a piece of touchwood. "Get some candles, they're on the shelf there."

Hans moved to retrieve them. "But I'm still curious, what are we doing here?"

"Like I told Hiccup, we're making maps." As he spoke, he struck the flint and steel together. "This gives us an alibi; in case we're questioned, we can say we were here, and if anyone stops by they can vouch for us. Plus, the maps will be useful anyways, after all of our trouble is over." He finally got a spark to catch. "After night falls, I'll take you to meet the group."

"But not all of them?"

"No, just the people we feel are important for you to know, and our leader." Fishlegs lit a candle and handed it to Hans. "It's good to have you with us, you're going to be key for our success."

"I…" Hans stared a moment at his candle's flame, mesmerized for a moment. "I'll try my best."

"That's all that any of us can do right now." Fishlegs had several more candles lit. "Come on, let's get some work done."

Most of the afternoon was spent preparing the maps, with Fishlegs organizing population numbers and resource locations, and Hans filling in the data where it was appropriate. There was a break for a nap and meal, and for Hans to have a small mug of beer - Fishlegs wouldn't let him have more than that. The daylight fell and the dark of night rose up, and it was just as Hiccup tasted what he mistakenly thought to be the Waters of Life that Fishlegs prepared to go out again.

"I think everyone's asleep now," he whispered. "Or most everyone. Come on."

Hans followed him through the village. They took no light, so the ghostly gloom pressed close to them, alleviated only slightly by the moon. Dragons that could not fit into the stables slept where they could, on rooftops or curled up at the sides of the pathways. Hans watched as they snorted and stirred in their slumber; their faces seemed troubled, even as they lay asleep.

"Come on."

Fishlegs beckoned for him to quicken his pace, and soon they were both outside of Berk. The stone-paved path trailed off to dirt, largely overgrown by grass, and their footsteps rustled and crunched, sounding in the silent night. Hans felt his breath quicken, afraid that they would be heard - then realized that his breathing might also be heard, and thus his anxiety was compounded.

Finally they turned around a rock face, and a small hut appeared up ahead. Several tiny fields sat in front of it, sprouting cabbages and rye. The windows were dark, but as the two approached the door, it opened before Fishlegs had the opportunity to knock.

"Did everything go alright?" Hans couldn't identify this voice, but it was very curt and bitter.

Fishlegs answered, "Hiccup doesn't suspect anything, at least from what I could tell. And we didn't see anyone when we walked here."

"Come in." Their host, whom Hans assumed to be the leader, hurried them through the door. Hans caught a glimpse at his face, peering furtively into the night for any sign of unwanted persons - he wore what seemed to be a perpetual scowl, and messy black hair framed his face. He had a heavy build and a tired feel around him. "Sit down." He closed the door, and the room was lit only through the moonglow in the windows - no fire burned in the place.

The whole hut only had one room, with a bed pushed against the back and a table closer to the front. They sat now at this table, with their host making a point to sit facing the door, which had a window facing out down the pathway. With the darkness of the house, one could easily peer outside, even from the table, and see anyone coming from far off. Hans and Fishlegs sat in two other chairs, and in the shadow Hans realized a fourth person sat at the table, someone small and slight.

"Alright, Hans," the leader spoke, "I don't like wasting time, so I'll get the formalities out of the way." His features were just barely illuminated as he spoke. "My name is Snotlout Jorgenson, and I am the head of the Defenders of Berk. Do you know who we are?"

Hans nodded, "Yes."

"Do you know what our mission is?"

"Yes...to kill Lord Haddock."

"Don't call him that!" Snotlout suddenly snarled. "He's not the 'lord' of anything. He's just a hiccup. Not Lord Haddock, Hiccup." He sighed. "But you're right, we're going to kill him, if you're willing to help us."

Hans gulped, and his fear blazed into his mind. His fear of failure...but now also of sloth, and what failing to act could bring.

"I will do what I can," he finally said.

"Swear it." Snotlout produced a dagger, and suddenly taking Hans' hand he sliced a small cut just below his thumb.

"Ach!" Hans snatched his hand away, staring at the cut as it stang and began to trickle blood. He watched Snotlout do the same on his own hand.

"Shake my hand." Hans did so, and felt Snotlout's blood ooze against his fingers. "Do you, Hans Hermann, agree to defend the people of Berk against tyranny and terror, by whatever means necessary?"

"I do." Hans felt himself growing stronger as he confirmed this.

"Do you vow to undermine Hiccup, the self-proclaimed emperor of Berk, and eventually bring him to his downfall?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to give up everything you have in order to achieve this?"

"I do."

"Do you understand that, if you are discovered, we will make no attempt to help you escape from jail, and you will face torture and death?"

"I…" This actually jarred Hans a bit. "I do."

"And finally, do you swear that, even in the face of pain and death at the hands of the man who calls himself the Dragon Overlord, you will not betray the Defenders and not reveal anything to him, even in exchange for your life?"

"I…" He took a deep breath. "I do swear it."

"Then I declare you pledged into the Defenders." Snotlout released his hand, and sat back in his seat. "Now that that's done, you know Fishlegs, and…" The fourth figure now sat forward, and was illuminated in the moonlight.

"Gerda!" Hans whispered as her frail figure lit up, "I-I can't believe it, I wouldn't have thought…"

"Good." Snotlout nodded. "If you didn't notice, then no one else probably did, either." He sniffed, and swiped at his nose with his thumb. "Hans, you're going to be very important, so listen to me, alright? Tomorrow night, we are going to poison Hiccup."

He set a vial on the table, which had a white powder inside. "If I were to consume even a lick of this, I would be dead within seconds."

"My God…" Hans stared at it. "How did you get it?"

"It took us weeks to save up for it, especially to keep it off the books. But we found a trader - I won't name him, for the sake of his own safety. All you need to know is that this is for you."

Hans took the vial with trembling fingers, and shivered as he imagined the toxins seeping through the glass and into his hand.

"Now, tomorrow you'll cook Hiccup and Astrid fish for dinner. When it's done, you'll cut most of it into strips. But for Gerda's safety," he pointed to her, "I also want you to cut some of the fish into smaller chunks. Then before you serve dinner, sprinkle the poison over the strips, but not the chunks."

Hans was starting to follow now. "Then Gerda taste-tests the food without the poison, she gets away fine-"

"Then Hiccup and Astrid eat, and they're gone!" Snotlout clapped his hands together. "That should do the trick. What do you say, pretty clever, huh? I came up with that myself."

"Ahem…" Fishlegs cleared his throat.

"Okay, you helped…but yeah, what do you say? You can do that, right Hans?"

He thought for a moment. "Not Astrid."

"Wait...what?"

"I will be happy to see Lord Hadd-" He caught himself and forced the name out. "Hiccup, to be dead. But Astrid has been kind to me, and…and I really think she's a victim as much as we are. I won't kill her."

Fishlegs tried to break in. "Hans, you swore an oath."

"To kill Lord Ha - Hiccup. But Astrid doesn't give off tyranny and terror. I won't kill her," he repeated.

Snotlout sighed and rested his head in his hands. After a while he looked up again.

"Fine. Our big priority right now is to stop Hiccup. We can figure out Astrid later on." There were no objections, so he continued. "Now, if something goes wrong, Hans and Gerda, our back-up plan is simple - three of us will be waiting outside with crossbows. Come and get us if the poison doesn't work, and we'll storm inside. Between us, at least one shot will hit Hiccup."

"Of course," Fishlegs pointed out, "when the dragons see this, they'll go mad at us for killing their alpha and...the isle's in for a really bad day. That's why this is our backup."

"But let's not use the backup." Hans nodded to everyone. "With the poison, the dragons won't attack."

"Hopefully not," Snotlout confirmed. "Now, we're going to be waiting-"

"Wait wait." Hans cut him off. "What do you mean 'hopefully not'?"

"I don't know if the dragons will make the connection between their alpha being poisoned and us standing nearby. If they do, they'll go berserk. Hopefully, they won't."

Hans could hardly believe his ears. "What are our chances, that we succeed?"

Snotlout sighed. "Hans, you promised your life to this."

"But I didn't realize you don't even have a plan to bring us out alive!" Hans looked at Fishlegs. "And you, you promised me that I would see Kranzgrad again. You said you had a plan to keep the empire from falling into chaos. Do you?!"

Snotlout also turned to face Fishlegs, who seemed very awkward on the spot. "I, uh...might have said some things, to get you here."

"You lied to me!" Hans stood up, and the others followed. "You lied just to get me to join?"

"I was desperate, okay!?" Fishlegs snapped back. "I did something I'm not proud of, and I normally wouldn't do that. But this is not a normal time we're living in. I needed to get you here, because we need to do this, and we need you to pull it off."

"Hans," Snotlout broke in. "Just remember what happens if you pull out now. Remember what Hiccup will do."

Hans froze and pictured it in his head. He truly had no choice. Groaning, he buried his face in his hands.

"We're in the same spot. If the dragons go berserk, we'll be dead too." Snotlout placed a hand on Hans' shoulder. "And I'm hoping it won't come to that. I hope that we can save both Berk and the world. But if we have to choose, we have to choose the world."

Hans didn't look up, but he nodded in understanding.

"If we are going to defend Berk...we might need to sacrifice Berk."