The warm glow of the lantern shone brightly as the moon would against a coal-black night sky. Snotlout entered the stables, lighting up the inside. The two bright eyes radiated from the darkness as Snotlout approached the cell. It was almost like he was coming to feed the angry beast living in a dark deep cavern. He just hoped he wasn't the dinner on the menu.

"Hiccup? I brought you some food…" he called out cautiously, holding the lantern before him as he approached the cell, the warm glow lighting up his leader's back.

"Oh, it's you," said Hiccup, looking over his shoulder with a disappointed scowl.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Snotlout, undoubtedly offended by the way he'd said it.

"Nothing," said Hiccup, shrugging while he got up to face his teammate. Snotlout put the plate down at the foot of the cell's door before raising his gaze to meet Hiccup's. "I'm just surprised Astrid let you come to see me on your own."

"I'm just here to bring you your meal, so, bye-bye," said Snotlout, turning his back on him without another word.

"It must be really heart-wrenching for her to see me like this to send you, Snotlout," said Hiccup, resting his chin on his arms while he leaned against the door's wooden horizontal bar. Snotlout slowly turned around to see a guilty look feature on his leader's face.

"Well, yeah," said Snotlout, turning all the way back around, holding his light-source high to see Hiccup better. "You've been acting like a total jerk. Worse than anti-hero Bonecrusher for that matter. Which, by the way, is really hard to beat. Trust me, I know the feeling…"

"She must be very scared," continued Hiccup, actually sounding and looking genuine. "And now she's sending others instead of facing me herself."

Snotlout sneered, shaking his head sideways. "Please," he said, wiping out an imaginary tear. "Astrid? Scared? I think you forgot the 'fearless' part in her name."

Hiccup's genuine expression and soft talk snapped as if someone had stepped on a branch. He tugged violently on the door and Snotlout jumped in surprise before taking a few cautious steps back.

"But I'd definitely understand her if she was," he said rapidly, shrinking on himself while he watched wide-eyed as Hiccup paced to the far end of his cell and returned. "This isn't like him."

Hiccup snickered, running his hand through his hair before returning to the gate.

"You've always been too easy, Snotlout," he said, grasping the bars.

"Spare me," snapped Snotlout, pointing to the floor firmly. "Your words are useless against me!"

"I spot a pattern," said Hiccup, narrowing his eyes on him while his smile grew wider. "You've never been first pick. Nor second. None of them care about you. They're using you. Why do you think you're here right now, with me? Astrid doesn't care if I manage to turn you against them. She'd never put that past you. I would never put that past you. And look, I completely understand by the way. You've never really had what it took to be a Dragon Rider anyway. But who can blame me? You've always been shifty and untrustworthy..."

Snotlout grunted in frustration and turned around, walking away with balled fists.

"Now where are you going?" called Hiccup, lifting his chin.

"To find a gag!" snapped Snotlout.

"I know who you truly are, Snotlout Jorgenson!" said Hiccup, raising his voice. Snotlout stopped dead in his tracks, staring blankly at the dusty floorboards. "You want power. You'll never be equal to the others and you know it. You'll always be one step behind." Snotlout eyed him over his shoulder, the violet of his irises glowing brightly against the dark background. "As you always have…"

"I heard it all before, Haddock!" shouted Snotlout, turning around for him to see the irritation on his face. "Now spare your breath!"

"I can give you everything you've ever wanted, Snotlout," said Hiccup, ignoring the Rider's denial completely. "Respect, power, love… I have more of the solution, right here on Dragon's Edge. You and I can bend the others' will. All you have to do is let me out."

Snotlout's gaze trailed to the ground. He tightened his lips, gripping the lantern's ring harder. He looked like he might consider and Hiccup waited expectantly, narrowing his eyes on him with a wicked smile pulling on the corner of his mouth.

"Snotlout, no!" came Fishlegs' shout, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned to see him and Astrid run his way. "Don't listen to him!"

"Come on, Snotlout..!" said Hiccup invitingly, making a gesture with his head to come his way. "You know you want this. Just let me out." He snarled when Astrid and Fishlegs joined the scene.

"Snotlout!" shouted Astrid, placing herself between him and Hiccup, glaring down at Snotlout like he'd been caught red-handed. "I told you not to talk to him!"

"What did you agree on?" demanded Fishlegs, standing by Astrid's side, distrust obvious on their facial expressions.

Snotlout blinked, Hiccup's previous words echoing in the back of his mind. But he quickly cleared his thoughts, frowning angrily.

"I said no!" he snapped frustratingly, pushing Fishlegs aside, upset they'd ever doubt his loyalty. "And I mean it!" He approached the cell and Hiccup's upper lip twitched in displeasure, his glare narrowed on Snotlout as he jabbed a finger at him through the bars. "You don't control me."

"This is getting old," said Astrid, as upset as Snotlout for various reasons. Every time she looked upon Hiccup now, it felt like she was looking at someone else. She turned away from the cell, standing firmly in front of Snotlout, her disappointment unmasked.

"What? I didn't do anything," he said, crossing his arms over his chest grumpily. "It's him."

"Doesn't matter." Astrid expressed an eye roll and walked past him coldly. "Just get out of here before I make you."

Snotlout groaned but did as told, leaving with Fishlegs right behind him without another word.

Astrid watched them go, leaving her alone in the large room with only a few torches to light up the stables. She turned to see Hiccup standing silently in his cell, the look in his eyes slowly killing the memories she had of the true Hiccup she knew. It felt like they were losing control the more time passed when, ironically, all they had to fix this was time. Fishlegs had said it for what it really was: those evil geniuses had found the perfect way to tear them apart from the inside... First, Hiccup had tried getting inside her head, speaking an awful truth in front of the whole gang. She'd also decrypted that the reason for the twins to act all weird and bumped out the other morning was from Hiccup's handy work with words. At least they had rapidly gotten over it. But that wasn't the case for everyone. Then he went after Heather, speaking out loud all those thoughts everyone shared about her. Even though she was their friend and ally, what he'd said remained true and Astrid could see it was affecting her in greater ways than this war ever could. And now Snotlout. Who knew what Hiccup had tried to sell him and if Snotlout had actually bought it. It was like trying to contain lightning in a bottle without getting zapped. She knew it was Viggo underneath his skin, controlling him like a puppet hanging from thin strings. How long before they were torn apart and started doubting one another, eyeing everyone mistrustfully and suspecting actual traitors? Their team would be no more; they'd be divided, weak… It would be blood in the water for Krogan and his Flyers… She wondered if the real Hiccup was playing a part in the game or if he was asleep like a hibernating Snow Wraith. It was upsetting to watch this sensible, caring, and compassionate being turn into this monster, even if it was all against his will.

Astrid walked out, looking over her shoulder one more time before closing the gates shut and walking away to resume with patrol.