The sun was starting to set when Astrid and the Riders were nearing the Dragon Hunter base. They had encountered no ship during their travel. Despite the stillness and quiet of the outpost ahead suggesting the Hunters' low guard and lack of alertness – all of the factors optimizing the success of their mission – Astrid couldn't help but feel somewhat unnerved.
"Something doesn't feel right..." she mumbled, pulling out her spyglass to have a better look. Stormfly flew steadily, slowing down. Her rider's uncertainty was radiating off her in waves.
"What's wrong?" asked Heather, coming up on her left. Astrid's concern was obvious.
"Something's off," said Astrid, trying to find the missing pieces to the puzzle. She wasn't quite sure how to proceed.
"What does that mean?" called Snotlout, widening his arms, bewildered. "This rescue mission has literally never been easier. So let's just go in there, kick some butt, and-"
"No." Astrid's voice was firm and loud as she removed her spyglass. She tried to think. "Viggo's better than this..."
"Okay, let's keep our options open here," said Fishlegs nervously. "We could be barking up the wrong tree."
Astrid tried to think. This plan she thought Viggo has formulated could just be another distraction. The outpost up ahead looked poorly guarded. Had they followed a false lead? Astrid couldn't help but think where else he could be if not on the outpost ahead. Could Viggo have taken him directly to his base, heavily guarded and ready to withstand any Dragon Rider attack after all?
"Okay, so Hiccup could be elsewhere," chirped in Tuffnut all too calmly like this were nothing more than another riddle. "I vote we still investigate. After all, Ruffnut and I are the best. And if he is in fact not there, well that just proves my point that Astrid and Heather are the worst detectives to have ever lived."
"Why would Viggo give us a false lead?" wondered Astrid, ignoring the twins and their off-topic discussions.
"Uh, duh?" said Snotlout. "So he can have a head start? Isn't that obvious?"
"If he so did, then he'd have to leave an outpost a target," said Astrid. "He'd be sacrificing another outpost – another operation."
"That doesn't sound like Viggo," agreed Heather. "He's all about maximum efficiency." Heather took a moment to think. Then her eyes widened at the same time Astrid realized. "Which means-"
"We're flying straight into a trap."
"What?" Fishlegs looked terrified.
"It's all a trap," repeated Astrid, meeting Heather's concerned gaze. "Viggo doesn't want us to fly in circles. He wants us to find him by making us believe he doesn't."
"Nothing in that last sentence makes sense!" called Tuffnut from the back.
"He wants us to take the offensive," continued Astrid. She looked through her spyglass again, noting how little soldiers were on watch, how little troops were in the camp. She had no doubt it was all part of the ploy, to lure them in with was looked like an easy ambush. She had a feeling Viggo was repeating the same attack he'd planned the night Hiccup got caught. Astrid had learned her lesson. "We're not going to attack."
"We're not?" said Snotlout disappointingly.
"No," she said, putting her instrument back in her satchel. "We have to do the opposite of what he's expecting."
"Isn't that just the thing with Viggo?" said Fishlegs, uncertain. "Whatever we do, he's accounted for every variable?"
"Then we'll just have to hit him with the least favourable," said Astrid. She sighed, hating the risk this mission needed to succeed. "If Hiccup is in fact there, we need to get inside their camp. That means no attack. No distraction. We gotta penetrate their defences without them knowing. Our play is too predictable. We can't change the odds. So we have to change the game."
"Huh?" said Ruffnut and Tuffnut in unison.
"Is this the part where we vote off who to send to certain death?" asked Snotlout.
"There won't be a need for a vote," said Astrid. She had an idea. But she couldn't pull it off all alone. She turned to Heather. The Berserker nodded, letting her friend know she was up for the challenge. Anything it would take to get Hiccup back. Anything to save their own without risking another.
...
Can't run. Can't outrun them on that leg.
Even if you can run, you can't hide. You can't hide and wait.
You'll bleed to death.
Think, Hiccup. Think.
You've been stabbed. You're hungry. You're hot, sweaty, dizzy...
Hiccup's vision focused in and out.
How long before you can't even stand or focus?
You're running out of time.
They're bigger. Stronger. Faster.
Viggo's the captor. You're the captive. He's got the advantage on every field.
Can't run. Can't hide. Can't wait.
Viggo's words seemed to come back again and again. Like an echo.
Prisoners are easier to handle when they're past trying to kill their captors and more concerned with their own survival.
Hiccup was trying to survive.
...more concerned with their own survival.
...when they're past trying to kill their captors.
Past trying to kill their captors.
Hiccup stared from the ground as Viggo exchanged words with his guard that had returned shortly after reporting the Dragon Riders' arrival. He'd expect Viggo to go with the Hunter, to see that the response to the Dragon Riders' initial attack went as planned. But Viggo remained. The look on the chief's face at the soldier's report wasn't one of contempt or satisfaction. It was passive. Had the Riders figured out Viggo's intentions and regrouped? Had they gone around the island? He couldn't know.
The guard took off again, leaving him with his toy once more.
"Looks like your friends may have figured it out sooner than I anticipated," said Viggo. There wasn't worry to his tone. He was recalculating, shifting his tactic. He chuckled, coming up next to him while Hiccup pushed himself off the dry ground, using what he could muster. His wounds were killing him, but his new purpose gave him strength. "Not to worry though. There are always multiple answers to a question. And I know them all."
"You have that all figured out, don't you?" said Hiccup, more annoyed than interested in the man's sinister plan. He got to his knees, Viggo's dark gaze still strained on him. Hiccup wondered if he was thinking of beating back down again. He groaned as he straightened up, dizzy from the blood loss.
Viggo watched him carefully as he pushed to his feet, heaving from the effort. Hiccup straightened, balling his fists to his sides.
"You have the bad habit of acting insubordinately and calling it bravery," hissed Viggo.
Hiccup didn't know how long he had before his slow-bleeding wounds would be the death of him, but he refused to go out lying down in the enemy's prison.
"Maybe," replied Hiccup, shrugging. "But you talk too much."
Viggo closed the distance between them and grabbed him from the front of his shirt, bringing him closer. Hiccup struggled against the grip, feeling his weight lift slightly off the ground. His prosthetic dragged against the gravel. Viggo's frustration blinded him from seeing Hiccup's masked confidence. The Hunter didn't have time to register nor react to Hiccup's ambush as the Rider's left hand reached down and grabbed hold of the wooden base of his metal leg. Hiccup wished he could've come up with a punchline as he swung, hitting the Hunter fast and hard in the head with the metal rim. Hiccup moved away hastily as the Dragon Hunter collapsed, a nasty gash bleeding from where he'd struck him. Hiccup panted from where he'd stumbled, his prosthetic leg still in hand, the metal foot of it stained red. Hiccup didn't know whether it was the cause of his injuries or what he'd done that left him in such shock. He shook his head, trying to keep it together as a mix of relief and nervousness washed over him. He needed to act. He needed to move.
Hiccup stretched his bad leg and strapped his prosthetic back in place before getting back up once more, the effort more painful and exhausting every time. A wave of disorientation rocked his mind as Hiccup started moving, pushing the unlocked gate open, finally slipping out of the dark and gloomy cell.
He couldn't run and hurry. Hiccup limped, one arm across his abdomen as he followed the tunnel path. He prayed to the gods above that Viggo hadn't posted soldiers anywhere nearby when he laid out the bait for him to attempt an escape. For a moment, while he made his way towards the exit, keeping to the shadowy wall, Hiccup wondered whether or not Viggo had taken this outcome into account. Would it be too soon for him to pat himself on the back? The last thing Hiccup wanted right now, was to speak too soon.
Hiccup was surprised by how deserted it felt. He kept pushing forward till he was seeing stars in the sky. He didn't wait around in the open and dashed for the trees at the edge of the camp, thanking the shadows and Viggo for the dark tunic.
"Where is he?!"
Hiccup dropped behind the bushes, his heart racing at the sound of Viggo's voice. Hiccup tried controlling his breathing, fearing the faint sound might make the Hunter snap his head in his direction. Only when he saw the Dragon Hunter Chief shouting and gesturing to his soldiers to spread out and find him did Hiccup start moving again, working his legs to walk the rough terrain. It was dark. Despite the summer's heat, his skin was growing cold and clammy, his hands and tunic still stained dark red from his own blood. He didn't know where he was going.
Can't run.
Can't hide.
He could feel himself growing weaker with every step, trying to survive. He didn't know where he was, where he was going, or how far away the enemy was. But he kept pushing on, trying to put distance between the camp and himself. He didn't know what he would do even if he did manage to escape the Hunters. Hiccup didn't have many options either way. He might die here. But instincts refused to give up. So he kept pushing, and Hiccup prayed to Odin that if he were to die here, he go out fighting – trying to escape – rather than lying down.
As if granting him his wish, Hiccup stumbled and collapsed, hitting the hard forest floor without resistance. He groaned angrily, fighting the thought of this early defeat with a wrathful howl.
"Been a while since I've had a good hunt." Viggo's triumphant voice cut Hiccup's breath short.
He didn't know where he was, whether he was in the Hunter's sights or if he'd responded to his outcry. He pressed his forehead against the ground and forced his body to answer, trying to move away and keep moving despite Viggo's advantages of speed and strength. Adrenaline pumped through him again, picking him up. The darkness around him was haunting, the distant sound of footsteps and chuckles born of a nightmare.
"That tingling sensation running up your spine?" continued Viggo, pressuring Hiccup. There was a dark tint of enjoyment as he talked. "Inevitability."
He pushed forward, every step equal to another whiplash. The island's terrain was changing, shifting from soft soil to rocky with a slight elevation.
"And that bit running down your legs?"
Hiccup pressed his hands against the dry and sharp pale rock, half-climbing, half-crawling at the soft rise.
"That's fear."
The trees around gave away to moonlight, the stars shimmering against the ink-black sky like fireflies buzzing in a wide field. Hiccup stopped at the rocky hilltop, looking down at the drop below. The blurry image danced before his eyes, the unsettling sensation of his pressure dropping destabilizing him. He caught himself, blinking away the dark spots.
Hiccup backed off from the edge, panting.
"It's fascinating, isn't it?" said Viggo, his voice steady. Hiccup swirled around, frozen. He was trapped. Cornered. Nowhere to go. There was no more running or hiding. Viggo took his time as he walked up the rock hill, dagger in hand. "This... rush. Our muscles increase their tension level. Our heart rate and respiration increase. Our whole basic metabolic system floods. It's probably saved your life more than once. One of the most captivating responses of human evolution; adrenaline sharpens your brain; it sharpens your responses." Hiccup backed off as far as he could as Viggo slowly closed the distance. "It helps increase mental concentration. It may not take the pain away but it may distract you from the sensation of it. It's a survival tool..."
Hiccup looked over his shoulder at the sharp rocks.
"However, prolonged exposure can turn your mind against you," he said, slowly advancing. "You reach a point where your will is exhausted. Your mind is clouded. And you, my dear Hiccup, have been fighting relentlessly, without rest, for approximately 24 hours now..."
Viggo stopped in his tracks, close enough now for Hiccup to see the drying blood on the side of his face. His eyes locked with his and he shrugged, the moonlight glinting off the polished blade of the knife as he gestured at the drop behind him.
"So what will it be?"
