Author's Note: Hey, hey, heyo, everyone! =D How are you all? Good? Great? Fine? Okay? I hope you all are doing well. =D

Anyway, welcome back to "Sticks and Stones!" =D This is part three of "A Mission Gone Wrong," and...well...it's right down below. X) I hope you guys enjoy it! =D

Summary: Lost and confused inside of the winding tunnels, Hiccup and Toothless still continue to make their way through them, only to encounter a not so friendly dragon. At the same time, Astrid and the Dragon Riders are flying to the Outcast camp with a plan to save Hiccup. (ROB.)

A Mission Gone Wrong, Part Three

The caves were annoying.

Hiccup had used maps to navigate him and his friends through different islands, track down Outcasts, and even dragons themselves. He had led his friends through many different caves with no trouble at all. He had managed to navigate his way around Raven Point just by using his head and the look of his surroundings. Hiccup didn't think that the cave would be any different. He thought it would be easier to get around, but it wasn't.

Several times, Hiccup had found him and Toothless walking around in a circle. Or at least he thought they were. They had passed the same strange shaped walk at least twelve times (the young viking was rather surprised that he had been keeping track), so he and Toothless went through another tunnel, one that was much darker than the one before. They had found their way out of the loop—huzzah!—but unfortunately, they had discovered that they were even deeper in the tunnels. Possibly even farther away from the exit.

Hiccup's torch flickered and waned; the bright orange fire that had been dancing happily at the beginning of their escapade through the tunnels had now reduced to a small, weak little flame that could barely even flutter. The stick was almost burned out; it was half the size when Hiccup had originally found it. Hiccup sighed and decided that it was time to take a break. The confusion of the caverns had tired him, and with such a little light source, he knew that he and Toothless wouldn't last for long.

Of course, he could always ask Toothless to make a flame, but he didn't want to waste the Night Fury's plasma blasts. And Toothless already seemed tired enough. The bleeding of his leg had stopped and the fur vest that had once been a pleasant brown was now colored with a dark red. Toothless collapsed immediately, and he placed his head in his paws, and Hiccup followed his example soon after. The young viking let out a weary sigh and set the barely lit torch aside and leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, feeling similar to the way he had been when he and Toothless had first entered the cave: dizzy and lightheaded. Pain had been stabbing his leg incessantly, but Hiccup tried his best to ignore it, but he had a feeling that the discomfort would only grow if he continued to push himself.

That dart must have something to do with this, he thought. Hiccup knew that had to be it. The dart must have inflicted something on him, but he didn't know what. The young viking hoped that it wasn't fatal, but episodes of dizziness, leg pain, and difficulty in breathing didn't seem that concerning…did it?

Hiccup couldn't place the symptoms on any poison or illness he knew of, so he decided to let the thought slide for the time being. Right now, he had his dragon and the Outcasts to worry about. And the fact that they were still stuck underground in a dark, unpleasant cave. He needed to stay strong, not just for himself, but for Toothless. The Night Fury had grown increasingly better since they had first entered the winding array of tunnels; he looked like his old, friendly self except for the bloodstained fur vest wrapped around his front left leg.

Hiccup sighed and closed his eyes, swallowing thickly. He didn't know how long it would be until the Outcasts got to him and Toothless, and he didn't know how long it would take for the pain in his leg (and everything else) to become unbearable. As he thought this, the pain numbed and subsided again, leaving Hiccup completely and utterly bemused.

Toothless had stood up from where he was lying and nudged Hiccup's side, telling him that they needed to keep going.

Hiccup nodded and stood up, dusting himself off. "Okay, since all of the other tunnels have led us in the wrong direction, let's take this right one," he said.

And so, Hiccup and Toothless headed down in the direction, hoping that they would eventually come across the exit.

…

Astrid and the other Dragon Riders had set off for the island where the Outcasts had attacked them on. The Hofferson girl had explained to the others the plan, and she repeated it over and over again to make sure that they got it, which deeply annoyed Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Snotlout. They already heard the plan several times before, and they had only forgotten it…every single time Astrid told them it. But still! They didn't need a constant reminder!

"Astrid, you're being a worrywort," Tuffnut stated bluntly.

"True that, bro," Ruffnut agreed.

"I'm just being cautious," retorted Astrid.

"Yeah, cautiously annoying," Ruffnut said with a roll of her eyes.

Astrid shook her head. "You guys have forgotten plans several times before. Heck, you forget a plan right after the plan is told to you! We don't have room for any hindrances or setbacks, or else Hiccup could get hurt."

"We won't let Hiccup get hurt, Astrid!" Snotlout hollered from the back. "I've had the plan committed to memory since you first said it!"

"Oh yeah? Then do you mind explaining it to Ruffnut and Tuffnut?" asked Astrid as she gestured to the twins.

"Hey! I didn't forget the…oh, wait. Yeah, I did," said Tuffnut.

"Me too," said Ruffnut.

Snotlout scoffed. "You two are so irresponsible. Luckily, there are people like me around to review this stuff with you. The plan is…" The Jorgeson trailed off, suddenly realizing that he too had forgotten the plan.

"You know what! How about you let Astrid explain? She's much better at this stuff," he said suddenly

"You forgot the plan," Fishlegs said.

"Shut up!"

Astrid ran a hand over her face. Once she had calmed herself down, she said, "Okay, I'll explain the plan again to those who have forgotten it."

"And that's me, Ruffnut, and Snotlout," said Tuffnut.

"Yes. You three," Astrid said with a small roll of her eyes. "Here's the plan. We're going to swoop in from above, just like we did with Hiccup when we first headed to the Outcasts' camp. Then, we're going to attack with all our might. But don't fire until I give the order. Don't hesitate to blast anything in sight. Fire as much as you can. Hiccup and Toothless ran to the west side of the island, so we're going to blow our fire on the east side. Hopefully, our ruckus will attract any other Outcasts nearby and lead them to our location, giving Hiccup and Toothless enough time to make their escape. Once they're in the air, we turn around and leave, got it?"

"Got it," said Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut in unison. Astrid nodded and she turned her focus toward the horizon. She hoped that the plan would work without any trouble, and she didn't know what would happen if it didn't. Astrid did not want Hiccup and Toothless to get hurt in any way. Hiccup was one of her best friends, and she didn't want to lose him.

"Our destination is approaching!" announced Fishlegs.

Astrid shoved her worry aside and replaced it with determination. The Outcasts were going to be sorry that they ever messed with her Dragon Boy.

…

Hiccup and Toothless had found themselves in an area where there were multiple different tunnels. On the walls, on the ceiling, and even on the floor. They seemed oddly familiar, but Hiccup couldn't place where he had last seen them. The memory was so close, yet so far, and this made Hiccup feel somewhat uneasy. He knew that he had seen those types of tunnels before, but he couldn't remember where.

Toothless seemed on edge too. He looked around warily and growled, but Hiccup didn't see any danger at all. So he walked into the cave tentatively despite Toothless' sharp warnings.

"There's nothing here, Bud," said Hiccup. "I think we're good for now. Let's just get past this place and find the exit. We need to meet up with the others before they try to do something crazy to try and save us."

Toothless grumbled but he followed his rider inside. If anything happened—which Toothless knew that something would happen—he would need the unholy offspring of lightning and death by his side. Besides, Toothless wouldn't leave his best friend to enter a dark, creepy tunnel with multiple different tunnels by himself.

Hiccup and Toothless entered the tunnel with tunnels. As they walked through, avoiding falling into one of the many holes that littered the ground, ceiling, and walls, they grew more and more familiar to Hiccup. A part of him wanted to take Toothless and run out, but he didn't know why he felt so on edge. What was it about these tunnels that were making him feel uneasy?

Toothless seemed to know the answer. The Night Fury's ears suddenly pricked up and he growled. Hiccup looked around widely. The atmosphere had changed. The ground was quaking and rumbling. Rocks and pebbles that laid on the ground were vibrating violently. Hiccup lifted his torch aloft, realizing too late why the tunnels and holes looked so familiar.

In a spray of dirt and rocks, a Whispering Death burst forth from the ground. Its white eyes scanned the tunnel and immediately spotted Hiccup and Toothless; it's razor-sharp rows of teeth spun like a grinder. Toothless stood in front of Hiccup protectively and Hiccup's eyes widened.

"Bud…we need to run."

Author's Note: Bum, bum, bummmm! Cliffhangerrrr!

I hope you guys enjoyed this part of "A Mission Gone Wrong," and I'll see ya in the next one! =D

Until the next chapter!

-BeyondTheMoon1203