Chapter 31
Hiccup sat nervously on the bed tapping his knee. It had already been a week since he made the deal with Drago and today he was supposed to hand over the drug sample. Next to him on the bed lay two sealed brown boxes that Astrid had helped him put together as well as a small cooler containing the Midas drug sample.
"Hiccup are you sure about this?" Astrid asked over the earpiece.
"I might not fully trust Drago but he'll be willing to do what it takes to get his hands on Midas." Hiccup told her.
"Not that….." Astrid stated. "I don't like him much myself but I was talking about the boxes. Are you sure?"
"We might have to make our getaway as soon as you have your body." Hiccup stated with a frown. "I just don't like leaving the others behind and in the dark after all this. They should know what Hank and Mary are capable of and what really transpired here."
"And if Stoick doesn't believe you?" Astrid asked. "You know there is that possibility."
"I know. That's why I'm handing one of these to Gobber instead." Hiccup told her. "I know he'll be able to get through to dad even if I can't."
"And have you decided on who will be getting the other box?" Astrid asked with great curiosity.
"Fishlegs," Hiccup stated. "He'll figure out what the contents mean pretty fast after he reads them."
"But you've been pensive this entire week," Astrid said. "And it's not all about this trade either."
"No it wasn't. I was just thinking."
"About?" Astrid prodded.
"The Hoffersons, and why they haven't acted yet." Hiccup elaborated. "They've had everyone under one roof for weeks now. So why haven't they done? According to Drago they could have easily drugged the entire facility with sleeping gas."
"You're thinking they are planning something big?" Astrid asked.
"I don't know, but I don't want to call them out on it in front of everyone." Hiccup pursed his lips. "Who is gonna believe the fishbone anyways?" He asked aloud with a self-deprecating laugh. "The gang might but the rest of the Berkians….. It will be like talking to brick walls."
Hiccup stood up and grabbed the cooler and the two boxes. He however stopped in his tracks once he walked into the living room. Hiccup's eyes went wide as saucers at the sight that greeted him. There on the couch sat both Ruffnut and Fishlegs and they were locking lips.
"OH. MY. THOR!" The exclamation caused Ruffnut and Fishlegs to stop what they were doing. Fishlegs squeaked and jumped up causing Ruffnut, who was almost straddling him, to fall to the floor with a 'thud'.
"OUCH!" Ruffnut groaned as Fishlegs quickly helped her up.
"Uhmm… eh…." Fishlegs sputtered as Ruffnut grumbled "Really Hiccup! Things were just about to get good!"
"Well I see you're no longer confused about which guy Ruff." Hiccup laughed.
"I figured out that I just love sensitive guys!" Ruffnut winked. "Oh and Fish is such a good kisser."
"Uh… eeeg… uhm…" Fishlegs was still sputtering and couldn't form much of a sentence. He finally managed to squeak out "Kissing we all did… Did all we kissing….. Uh… oh aaaaah!" The sentence ended up getting jumbled which caused Ruffnut to laugh.
"I think what he means is kissing is all we did." She finished and then patted Fishlegs on the shoulder.
"Yeah that…." Fishlegs said.
"Well congrats to you both," Hiccup was happy for them and then he remembered why he was going to find Fishlegs in the first place. "I'll leave you two to it but I got to give you this first Fish."
Fishlegs blushed when Hiccup hinted at leaving the two alone and then looked confused when a nondescript box was handed to him.
"Hiccup what is this?" Fishlegs asked with a frown.
"Uhm… just something you have to read but only when the situation seems dire." Hiccup quickly explained. "Or when you think it's dire."
"Does this have anything to do with you and Astrid sneaking around?" Fishlegs asked, perceptive as always. "You think we were going to be in danger if we knew?!"
"Yeah, kind of." Hiccup gulped. "Look, I really can't explain it in full but….. If anything happens that you find suspicious…"
"I'll open the box." Fishlegs nodded.
"Right… thanks for listening… I…. uhm… I'll let you guys get back to… uh…" Hiccup blushed as he quickly walked to the exit but was stopped by Fishlegs' next question. "Just how bad is this secret that you think we won't be safe Hiccup?"
"It's pretty bad….." Hiccup quickly said before exiting swiftly.
Once outside he let out a groan. "What's wrong?" Astrid inquired as Hiccup quickly walked to his other destination.
"Ruffnut will probably convince Fish to read the contents earlier." Hiccup mumbled. "If they blurt something out and get caught in any crossfire….."
"And you're worrying this much because you don't want them to get hurt because of what we are about to do. Because you've never really had friends before." Astrid stated quite bluntly.
"Yeah….." Hiccup couldn't deny it. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"I think Hank and Mary should watch out though," Astrid suddenly commented and Hiccup gave a weird look before he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, can you imagine the chaos the twins would cause if they started pushing random buttons in the secret lab?"
"Oh Thor!" Hiccup laughed at the image. He must have looked like a madman, laughing to himself, because two of the men walking past walked just a bit faster.
When Hiccup finally came to Gobber's office and apartment in the maintenance section he knocked twice.
"I'm coming, I'm coming! Hold yer britches!" Came from the other side of the door. Gobber opened the door a bit and exclaimed "Hiccup!"
"Hiccup?" Another voice came from inside and Hiccup peered over Gobber's shoulder to see his dad sitting there with a mug.
"D-Dad!" Hiccup gulped as his eyes widened. "W-What are you doing here!"
"Visiting Gobber," Stoick frowned. "What are you doing here?" He asked back.
"Visiting Gobber," Hiccup replied the same.
"Okay…. Well this is awkward." Gobber muttered. "Uhm….."
"Ah, Gobber. I only came to give you this actually." Hiccup quickly spoke as he thrusted the box that he had been holding under his arm into Gobber's hand.
"You got me a present lad?" Gobber asked with a raised brow. "Now I know it ain't mah birthday…."
"No, no Gobber. It's all the info you need to give to dad when things get….. Weird." Hiccup internally cringed as he knew Stoick's eyes were on him as well.
"Why can't you give it to me yourself son?" Stoick asked as his big red bushy eyebrows scrunched together.
"Becauseyouwouldn'tbelievemeifItoldyou," Hiccup managed to get out in one breath before he turned on his heels and fled.
"Damn that boy can run," Gobber observed before looking down at the box still in his hand.
"Gobber what has Hiccup been up to?" Stoick asked with a frown as he looked at the place Hiccup was standing not seconds ago.
Gobber proceeded to thump Stoick on the side of the head and mutter "Now you want to know? You haven't even apologized yet!"
"You told me to give the boy some space!" Stoick argued back.
"Some space! Not a whole freaking solar system!" Gobber rolled his eyes at his friend as he closed the door. "I still can't believe you've waited this long to even talk to him."
"Hiccup is… Hiccup is difficult to understand." Stoick mumbled. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. I even placed myself in his shoes."
"I hope you got those shoes fixed then….." Gobber mumbled as Stoick shot him a glare.
"What I mean to say Gobber…." Stoick muttered "is that I really did royally screw up and I have a lot to make up for. He's as adventurous as his mother was and I was afraid of losing him as well."
"You know….. That might be a good start with the apology." Gobber suggested. "Now are you or aren't you curious about what is in this box?"
"I thought you knew what Hiccup was up to?" Stoick frowned.
"I don't know exactly….." Gobber gave a nervous laugh. "But I reckon it has to do with the missus."
"What missus?!" Stoick's bushy eyebrows nearly shot up to his hairline.
Meanwhile, in another part of the facility a very out of breath Hiccup exited the elevator. "I did not expect dad to be there."
"I did not expect you could even move that fast." Astrid stated bluntly. "You do know you two will have to talk eventually."
"I know…. I know. I just can't stand to see that disappointing scowl he wears when he's looking at me." Hiccup groaned as he made his way to the Genetics lab.
"You might not get another chance after this Hiccup." Astrid warned him. Hiccup bit his lip and tried to hide his frown but he did give a small nod to show that he understood.
When Hiccup walked into the Genetics laboratory he did stop in his tracks again. His eyes widened at the sight before him and his mouth fell open. Not a sound came out however until he told Astrid to call his uncle Spitelout in the Security section. There in front of Hiccup lay none other than Drago, dead, in a pool of his own blood with a knife sticking out of his back.
AN: DUN DUN DUNNNNNN... If ya'll are wondering. Yes, I made a list of characters to maybe kill off... no, you will not know until it's too late. (Cackles)
Next update is Friday.