An Issued Challenge

Oh, she hates him, with every cell in her decaying body. She hates him! Everything was supposed to go so well! The runt was to be dead along with the blonde, she would have the formula, and revenge would be filled! She would rule the world and accomplish everything her wimp of a son had failed at doing. The thief had ruined everything with her self-sacrifice. While others might have whispered the word in respect and awe, Excellinor spat and cursed it. The anger that should have been fulfilled only built up to a new raging crescendo, and Excellinor knew that Hiccup Haddock the Third would have to die by her claws at the mercy of her power.

Watch and wait, Excellinor, she told herself, watch and wait. He will show. And if he didn't, she would hunt him down the corners of the earth and quench her thirst for revenge.

…

He hadn't known he could feel so. He wasn't normally inclined to anger, but now he was smoking mad. Excellinor had taken away one of his best friends. Hurt was building up inside of him like a wire under tension, ready to snap. On the way home, he scoops up something he knows investigators will look for; they will not find their goal.

He will use it.

He will avenge the one who just died and the one who died for him years ago.

He will feel complete.

…

"So what are you going to do about Excellinor?" Astrid asked as she and Hiccup strolled through the park.

"I don't know," Hiccup muttered, rubbing his chin. He had completely ditched his crutch. Astrid didn't think that was wise, considering that she could count the number of times he'd been to physical therapy on one hand and have some left over, but if she asked, he would get all up tight.

"Ambushing her won't work again. Not that did in the first place, even if we did catch her goon." Astrid rubbed her neck where the scab from the knife was slowly starting to heal.

"No."

"I don't suppose..." Astrid trailed off, forgetting where she was going, and kicked a muddy pine cone across the paved walk way. "We could..."

"Nothing time consuming." Hiccup sighed, the motion having more weight than normal. "We don't want her running around."

"With a gun," Astrid agreed.

Hiccup's lips pursed together, and was it just Astrid's imagination, or did his eyes get harder? "Yes, with a gun."

"We've got to think of something," Astrid bemoaned. "Something that doesn't have the twins input smacked all over it."

They walked in silence for a couple of moments until Hiccup suddenly stopped. "Cami's mom called me and said to tell you that she'll be coming by for Cami's stuff sometime."

"Oh." Astrid was secretly relieved that she wouldn't have to deal with Camicazi's stuff. She didn't know if she'd be able to go through it, not have knowing her that well. "How's your head?"

Hiccup frowned. "Bad. Really bad. I ate a raw fish last night."

"Whole?" Astrid was almost shocked.

"No. In halves." Hiccup chewed his lip in agony.

"It's only because Excellinor rattled you," Astrid assured him. "It'll get better." At least, she thought.

"I hope so. Talk to you later?" Hiccup asked. They had reached the parking lot.

"Yeah. Sure." Astrid gave Hiccup a little half wave as he hobbled away, lonely and sad as he scrunched up in his coat.

…

Camicazi's desk was left empty in memorandum, the paperclips, the photos, and the jar of pennies that Astrid hadn't realized existed before sitting there to commemorate Camicazi's work life. Astrid couldn't have felt more depressed staring at it. It was a nice gesture for everyone else, but to Astrid it was a reminder of Camicazi's eyes closing for the final time.

Hiccup didn't get much work done, as far as Astrid could tell. He sat at his desk (forgoing more therapy sessions!) and stared off into space. His pens were looking about in as good conditions as Astrid's wastebasket full of chewed up pencils, which was bad, considering that the rest of his desk was always as clean as a pin.

Astrid was busy chewing her own pencil and tapping her foot against the floor when Hiccup marched over to her and slammed a fist down on her table.

"Uh, hi?" Astrid casually asked, twirling her pencil around her thumb. In actuality, she knew that he needed to talk to someone and had been about ready to go drag him out to go get coffee.

"I know what to do." Hiccup stared her straight in the eyes. He didn't look like he had gotten much more sleep, if any at all.

"What?" she asked eagerly.

"You'd kill me if I told you," he said gravely. "But you'll find out after it happens."

"You've got to be kidding me." Astrid glowered at him, cheeks flushing. "We do things together, Hiccup." Astrid now slammed her fish on her desk. "We made a deal."

"You're cute when you get mad."

Astrid's mouth worked wordlessly. How could Hiccup be so idiosyncratic? "Don't you dare try to change the subject, Hiccup Haddock the Third! You're nuts! You can't deal with someone like Excellinor on your own! Don't you remember? She can turn into a dragon, too!"

"I'm not letting you get hurt again," Hiccup said stubbornly.

"I'll go to your dad," Astrid threatened. "I'll get Snotlout to do something."

"Go ahead. We're all stubborn Vikings around here."

Astrid clenched her fist, anger rising at every stupid sentence that came out of Hiccup's mouth. "Did you not hear me? This conversation is feeling very one sided. Excellinor has a gun! Why'd you come over here to tell me if I can't help you?"

"I hear you, Astrid."

"Oh, yeah?" She snorted. "Well, you're sure not listening!" She slammed her computer shut, done with him. She grabbed and item from her desk drawer and shoved everything into her messenger bag. She brushed past him roughly, and on the way, landed a punch on his shoulder. "That was for being block-headed!" she yelled over her shoulder as she marched out the door.

"Astrid, wait!" Hiccup called after her.

"I can't hear you!" she proclaimed testily as she exited. She did not look back.

It was wrong and possibly illegal. Astrid probably shouldn't have done it, but when she bumped into Hiccup, she had slipped a tracking device into his pocket. Hiccup had actually made the thing for her while he was in the hospital, and now she was using it against him. He was a complete moron if he though that she was going to let him face anything on his own.

He deserves it, Astrid decided, opening up the connected app on her phone. She was at her own house now, but the second Hiccup left his, she would be trailing his back like a tick. A very annoying tick. How hard could it be to track a one-legged red head?

Apparently, it was very hard.

First off, Hiccup didn't use his crutch. Second off, with his fingerless gloves, ratty coat, and limp, Hiccup could have passed off for any other homeless guy. Third off, he wore a hat so his hair wasn't visible.

Astrid ground her teeth in frustration, trying to navigate the app and keep track of hiccup with bulky gloves on. She was beginning to see why Hiccup liked his fingerless gloves. Between them, the wool scarf, AND her parka, she was about as mobile as a walrus on anesthesia.

She had to push her way through the crows on the street's sidewalk, yelling "Sorry!" and "Excuse me!" at the people she elbowed past. Then the worst possible thing happened: Her phone flashed a five second warning and then promptly died.

"You can't quit on me, you dumb electronic!" Astrid yelled at it.

"Free sample, Miss?" A clerk standing in front of a beauty salon store stepped in front of her and held something out.

"I'll give you a sample," Astrid snarled, not trying to be mean, only in too much of a hurry to bother with politeness or check the product out. The distraction was all it took for her to lose sight of Hiccup. "Now look at what you've done!" she groaned and took off again. Why did all the crowds have to be out in the streets when she was searching for someone? It was dinner time! They should have been at home, eating!

Where was Hiccup?

Astrid got her answer, and it did not please her one iota.

A large, bat-like shape rose above the skyline of New Berk City, except Astrid knew it wasn't a bat. It was the Night Fury.

Hiccup had finally changed, and he could fly! The injury to his leg didn't affect a thing, and he somersaulted through the clouds and roared joyfully.

No, Astrid realized with alarm, not joyfully. He was issuing a challenge to Excellinor.

Astrid turned to a woman next to her on the sidewalk. "Give me your cellphone. Now!" Astrid's tone was so authoritative that the woman didn't hesitate. Astrid dialed the whole gang, barked a cryptic message along the lines of "Get your sorry excuses for Vikings down here!", and stared helplessly at the sky, searching for any sign of Excellinor. What had possessed Hiccup to try to take her down alone and without Astrid?

The Night Fury roared again, drawing a crowded of people who gawked at the spectacle. The Night Fury hovered in the air for a second, and it looked as if his challenge would go unmet.

"Look, Mommy!" a little girl cried from Astrid's left. "A dragon!"

"Yes, Emily, I see," her mom said. "It's black, isn't it?"

"No, Mommy! It's white!" Emily exclaimed.

Astrid's head snapped around, her eyes frantically searching for the white dragon Emily saw. They landed on a ragged white shape twice the size of the Night Fury that arose from the skyline like Hiccup had.

…

Oh, how long she had waited for the call, the challenge, the summon. She could not have stopped herself if she had known what was coming beforehand:

The hot rage rushed to her head, and the instinct to go wild pulsated through her mind. She shed what had once been the sickly body of Excellinor and exchanged it for power, might, and carnage. She was the White Death. Excellinor was temporarily gone, but her mission didn't dissolve into nothing like her consciousness had.

No matter what happened, the black dragon had to die.

…

Unknowingly, Astrid dubbed the white dragon what the white dragon had dubbed itself: the White Death. It was a perfect fit. The dragon arose in the air like a corpse. It might have been pure white, but even from her place on the ground, Astrid could smell death on it.

It opened its jaws, displaying black teeth and a blood red mouth, and roared back at the Night Fury. The Red Death might have been twice the Red Death's size, but there was no doubt that it could beat Hiccup, and it seemed to know that. It took its time gliding around Hiccup like a hawk that had cornered its prey, occasionally flapping its white wisps of wings.

Delaying it was cruel, Astrid decided, clenching her fists. If only she had wings! "Oh, Hiccup!" she berated him, even though he couldn't hear her from his altitude. Her nails dug into her palms, and Astrid bit her lip. The two dragons circled each other warily, neither willing to make the first move, reminding Astrid of the staring contests that she used to have with her father.

Finally, the White Death caved in and dove through the air at the Night Fury, long talons outstretched like a wolf closing in on its kill. The Night Fury waited for her, and at the last second dove to the side, his claws flashing. The two scratched at each other, and the battle began.