Alright! Next chapter! Sorry I've been away but I kind of hit writer's block. Anyway...
WARNING: There is strong language in this chapter. Mainly swear words so yeah... sorry if that bothers you. The story is rate M for a reason. Swearing isn't the only thing that will be a problem.
Nonetheless, ENJOY! XD
Dagur sat in the waiting room. His knuckles were white, his teeth clenched, and his eye blazing with anger. When I find out who has been doing this, I'm going to kill them with my bare hands!
He and his father had raced to the hospital with his sister in a delusional state. She referred to the passing people as peasants and hollered for people to get out of the way of royalty. Oswald tried to tell her to stop calling the nurses and doctors commoners but she refused to listen. Only when Dagur said they were magicians and sorcerers brought to help her, did she calm down and let them touch her.
But now, he just sat there. Not doing anything. Just sitting and waiting; seething. He wanted to see her, know if she'd be alright. If she died, he'd go crazy.
His fists tightened even more as he thought. I wasn't able to protect her. What kind of a brother am I? How did this even happen? I'm a failure. I need to protect her more. Be more observant. Something. I'm going to fucking kill whoever is behind this.
"Dagur," Oswald broke his concentration.
Dagur looked up at his father, eyes still burning; his mouth grim. "What?"
"The doctors say you can see her now."
"Whatever," Dagur shrugged, pretending not to care. He got up and walked into the room where his sister lay.
She was sleeping in the plastic bed. The monitors peeped to her heart beat and her breathing. Around her head was a bandage that tried to keep infection out of the wound in her skull. The bang on her head from when she fell over was a bit more severe than he had imagined. The IV was injected in her right hand, the solution dripping slowly into her system. He walked over and moved some of the hair from her face as he grinned slightly.
"Seems like you'll be fine," Dagur whispered. "But it still doesn't excuse what they did. I promise I'll make them pay for what they did to you."
"Did you guys hear?" Ruff whispered. "The drug attackers have come to Berk."
"What?" Fishlegs exclaimed. He immediately looked over his shoulder and caressed his belonging closer to him.
"How do you know sis?" Tuff asked as he glanced at his neighbor in slight disgust.
"Really?" Ruff cocked an eyebrow. "You were with me when it was on the TV this morning."
"I wasn't paying attention," Tuff shrugged. "I was thinking of something else."
"Like what?" Snotlout rolled his eyes. He glanced sideway at Ruffnut, who was sitting next to him, in a playful fashion.
"None of your business," Tuff shook his head.
"Sorry," Snotlout raised his hands defensively.
"What are we going to do?" Fishlegs asked. He took a nervous bite out of his sandwich as he tried to eat.
"What we normally do," Tuff sighed. "These people seem to attack anyone and everyone. No matter how many precautions we take, they'll still probably drug us." Tuff's shoulders slumped a bit. When no response came, he looked up to see three confused faces. "What?"
"Thanks for the cheerful thought," Snotlout scoffed.
"Yeah," Ruffnut agreed. "It's a bit of a downer but I agree."
"You're not helping my nerves here Ruff," Fishlegs squeaked.
"But he's got a point," Ruff defended her brother. "Have you guys kept up on the case?"
"I try not to scare myself at home," Fishlegs chuckled nervously. "And this kind of news would make it hard for me to sleep at night."
"I've been busy with-uh-um-other stuff," Snotlout stumbled. "What does he mean?"
"People have been attacked in ally ways, shopping malls, parking lots, restaurants, and everything in between," Ruff explained. "In busy and crowed areas. No place is safe."
The four of them looked at each other nervously then around them. Their faces grim, eyes full of worry. Unconsciously, they scooted closer together finally breaking out of their worried glances when Ruff and Snotlout exclaimed.
Fishlegs held his heart and tried to slow his breathing. "Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Dude. What happened?" Tuff asked.
"Don't touch me!" Ruff shoved Snotlout.
"Hey! It was an accident!" Snotlout defended himself. "Geez."
"Seriously?" Tuff's face fell in disappointment. "You two squealed liked babies because you accidently touched each other's hand?"
"Well to their defense, we did create an intense atmosphere," Fishlegs said.
"Whatever," Tuff rolled his eyes. "I'm going to do some brainstorming on our next pranks sis." He picked up his tray and left the table. The other three just sat around quietly eating their lunches, the previous conversation bouncing in their minds.
Fishlegs then began to gather his things and stuff his trash into his paper bag. "I'll see you guys in sixth period. I have some questions for my calculus teacher."
"Bye," Ruff and Snotlout waved together.
The two of them continued to eat as the lunch period ticked by. The two were still unaware that they were so close until Ruff turned her head to get something from her bag.
"Hey!" Snotlout cried out.
Ruff snapped her head in his direction, seeing that his drink had spilled somewhat. His hands engulfed the cup, indicating he had caught it before it did too much damage.
"What?"
"Your braid almost knocked my drink over."
"It's never happened before," Ruff cocked an eyebrow. "Why wou-oh!" She then realized how close she was to him and scooted down the seat, blushing slightly. "Sorry. Didn't know I was that close to you."
"It's fine," he shrugged as he cleaned up the liquid that did spill. "I didn't realize it either."
"Um-ah-where's Astrid?" Ruff changed the subject.
"I don't know," Snotlout looked down at his plate. "She said something about needing to be alone."
Ruff cocked an eyebrow, taking this opportunity to dig. "Are you two having issues?"
"No," Snotlout scrunched his eyebrows. Then they quickly went slack. "I don't think so. Astrid's been acting weird lately."
"Yes she has," Ruff agreed. "But then again, she's been different since Freshman year."
Snotlout raised his head and pondered, realizing Ruff's observation. "Yeah! That is true. I wonder what could have changed."
"What the hell did you do to the car?" Harold shouted from the garage.
Astrid jumped at the sudden sound of her father's voice. She turned from her seat in the living room to see her father livid. His face was red and veins were bulging out of his neck. "What do you mean?" Astrid asked sincerely.
"Don't play games with me," Harold walked forward. "What did you do to the car?"
"I haven't done anything," Astrid replied strongly. "I haven't driven it in over a week!"
"That's bullshit!" he spat. "It wasn't me. I haven't done anything to it."
Astrid rolled her eyes in annoyance as she turned her back to him. "Maybe if you'd stop drinking and driving you'd know that it is because of you," she mumbled under her breath.
"What did you say?" Harold snapped.
"Nothing."
She was looking in her binder at her homework when she was suddenly looking at the ceiling. Her head was searing in pain and she reached her hands up to her head only to come in contact with her father's hand.
Harold had grabbed her long braid and yanked her head back to look at him. He didn't care that he was upside down to her, he just wanted to make sure she made eye contact. "Don't you turn your back to me. And don't you dare back talk me."
"Mom did," Astrid said as she tried to get out of his grip. "She told you when you were in the wrong and you listened. I didn't do anything to the car!"
Harold tugged tighter and harder causing Astrid to cry out. "Your mother was stupid. She didn't know any better. I'm trying to make you smarter than that dumb woman."
Astrid's eyes burned. Her eyes were tearing up from the pain and the insult. "No she wasn't!" Astrid screamed back. "She was brave to stand up for her opinion."
Astrid cried out again, squeezing her eyes shut at the pain. "Your mother was out of line. Always! She was too dumb to know her place in this house. But you will know yours. That car had better be running by tomorrow morning or you will be absent from school for the rest of the week. Got it?"
He released her hair as he pushed it forward forcefully. He then turned and walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Astrid rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and base of her skull with the other as her eyes remain shut tightly. It's the one thing she hated about her hair; it was a great source of pain for her. She breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm her emotions as she rubbed her head.
Her eyes then flew open as his words sank in. Oh no! No no no no! He can't. H-he wouldn't! You know he would Astrid. He wasn't even drunk. He definitely means it. She jumped up from the couch, not caring that her homework was flown all over the floor, and raced to the garage.
She flew open the door and hopped inside the car. She listened to what might be the matter and popped the hood. She raced about the garage finding the right tools to try and fix it. When she thought she fixed the problem, she turned the key again, only to find the car was unresponsive.
She leaned over the engine again to find out what else could be wrong. For over an hour, she fixed and repaired everything she could think of, everything she knew how to fix, and yet the car refused to respond. As she released the key from the last time she tried to turn it, she slammed her head against the steering wheel.
She let it rest there for a few minutes as her mind raced about what would come if she didn't get it to work. Her heart raced and her breathing quickened just at the thought. The rest of the week?! I don't think I could handle that.
Astrid sighed as he forced herself out of the driver's seat and back to the hood of the car. She slowly scanned the engine, seeing if she missed anything, but quickly coming to the conclusion that she hadn't. She leaned on the end of the hood, sighing. She knew she'd need to take the car to the auto shop but it was late; nothing would be open.
Well it's worth a shot to see if anyone is home. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number with her greasy fingers.
Hiccup's head bobbed to the beat of the music as he walked. His mouth formed into a small smile at the music he was listening too. It took his mind off of reality and into his own little world, one which he visited often.
As he continued to walk, an eerie feeling entered his chest. He shook it off and allowed the music to engulf him again but the feeling broke through his barrier again. He quickly spun around and quickly looked around him. No one was there. Just the brightly sun lit street. He turned back around and began to walk again.
His hands were shoved into his pockets, his fingers tapping his phone. He passed several shops as he walked down Main Street into the auto shop. All the while, he continued to have that eerie feeling, causing him to turn around several times.
When he entered the garage, he pulled his earbuds out and turned off his iPod. He shrugged his shoulders in a circular fashion, trying to rid himself of that, in his mind, misplaced feeling.
"How busy are we today Gobber?"
Gobber hobbled into the garage, wiping his greasy hands clean. "Not that busy. I think you will have one car to finish but you'll be able to do that real quick."
Hiccup hung up his coat and put on his blue one pieced jumper. "That sounds great!" Hiccup smiled as he zipped up his protective clothing. "I might be able to get some work done on my personal projects then."
"Don't stay too late doing whatever you're building," Gobber shook a finger. "Your father worries when you're out late. Especially on a school night."
Hiccup smiled as he giggled slightly. "I promise I won't be here later than 11."
Gobber cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. "Yeah sure."
"Ok," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I'll try not to be here later than 11. You happy?"
"Hmm," Gobber stroked his chin. "Knowing you, you'll probably be here till 1 in the morning. What are you working on?"
"A new prosthetic," Hiccup grabbed some tools. "This one is getting a bit sore."
"Couldn't you order one? It'll be quicker."
"Yes," Hiccup nodded. "But not more comfortable. Or practical. If I order it, it looks like a prosthetic. But when I make it myself, it looks like a foot. No one knows the difference."
"I see," Gobber nodded. He then frowned. "Why are you hiding-"
"Because I am," Hiccup interrupted. He didn't want to get into this conversation and ended it as quickly as possible. His eyes fell and his shoulders slumped at the thought and at snapping at Gobber. "Sorry."
"No," Gobber shook his head. "I get it."
Hiccup turned around and smiled at his mentor. "Don't you have a meeting or something to get too?"
"Oh yes!" Gobber smiled brightly. "You'll be alright here?"
"This isn't the first time I've manned the shop alone," Hiccup crossed his arms teasingly.
"Yes I know but-"
"Bye Gobber!" Hiccup waved his hands at him, telling him to scoot out the door.
"Pest!" Gobber shook his head.
"Tell whoever he is that I said 'hi'!" Hiccup hollered after him.
"Will do!" Gobber hollered back.
Hiccup laughed to himself as he heard the car door open and close and watched as his car sped away. He turned and walked into the garage, raising the last car of the evening. As it rose, he went over to the stereo on the bench and turned on the radio.
As the music played, Hiccup worked on the car. In minutes, the car was complete and he began to lower it. However, as he lowered it, that feeling came back. His thumb released the button as he turned around to see outside. He walked over to the window and saw nothing. He opened the garage door and saw nothing but the setting sun.
What is wrong with you Hiccup? Paranoid of nothing! Get a grip. He shook his head and closed the door, locking it for safety. He resumed lowering the car and finished the paper work involved. He then dragged a stool over to the workbench and began to work on his prosthetic.
As the sun set and darkness engulfed Berk, Hiccup tapped his foot to the radio. For over two hours, he worked on his project. He swore and cursed when it didn't function properly. He ran his hands through his hair and over his face repeatedly in exhaustion. He finally just placed it in front of him and starred at it, trying to figure out why it wasn't functioning properly.
As he worked on the prosthetic, the feeling increased. He shrugged his shoulders repeatedly, turned up the volume on the radio, and turned on all of the lights but nothing made it go away. His heart stopped when a noise echoed over the radio. He turned off the radio and listened.
His heart rate rose as the silence increased. He looked around quickly, trying to see if anything seemed out of place. He grabbed a crow bar and held it in his hands defensively as he slowly stood up. Ok. This is getting too much. I don't like this. I'm just going to go home and pretend I was never freaked out by nothing. Yeah. That's what-
RIIIIINNNGGG!
"Ahh!" Hiccup yelped as he jumped two feet into the air. He held his chest in fright as he realized that the shop phone was ringing. He took a deep breath and walked into the office. He picked up the phone and answered it.
"Gobber's Auto Shop. Hiccup speaking. How may I help you?"
"Hiccup?" the caller asked. "You're still there? Oh thank god!"
Hiccup's face contorted into confusion. "Astrid?"
"Yeah. Thank god you're still there."
"Is everything ok?" Hiccup leaned into the phone further, thinking that it'll help get him closer to her. He could hear that something was up. Something had upset her.
"Well…I know it's super late and it's a school night. I don't want to be a burden but if you can-I mean even of you can't, I'd-"
"Astrid," Hiccup stopped her from talking. "What do you need?"
Silence hung on the line for a second before Astrid spoke. "I need dad's car fixed by morning. It won't start."
Hiccup's heart stopped. He heard fear in her voice. Hell, he felt it in his gut. This would be risky. It could really jeopardize everything. If they were caught, things would drastically change.
"I wouldn't ask unless it was absolutely necessary."
"No, no, no. I know," Hiccup reassured. "I'll be there in five minutes. Get the car out of the garage so it's ready when I get there. We should be out in the open as little as possible."
"Alright. I'll be waiting."
Muahahahahahaha!
Anyways! Might be another chapter tonight! We'll see! XD
