HELLO, FRIENDS! :D CHAPTER 4! :D Shout-outs:
ShadowSpirit020: Who knows what that sneak peak meant. ;)
LunarCatNinja: Tuffnut is amazing. :D
wikelia: Hahaha, oh my gosh, I didn't mean to do that. XD
midnightsky0612: Stay strong! :D
SilverGhostWolf: I know what you mean! Totally! :D Thanks! :D
Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: Yes, go Tuffnut! :D And it will definitely be very exciting. I promise. :D
AquaticDragon: Yeaha! Whoo! :D This is gonna be a crazy story! :D
SnivyDragon: Tuffnut is DEFINITELY underestimated by all the villains. Just like Ruffnut was underestimated by the dragon hunters when she was kidnapped in that one episode. :) The twins are amazing characters. :D
Animals Rule: Meh, Toothless would probably just blast them onto oblivion if they tried to interrogate him. Toothless isn't going to take any interrogations well. :D
HappyPup1: I'm glad you like it so far! :D
Crystallion12: Very interesting indeed. :)
Charr2003: Go Tuffnut! :D And Heather is such an awesome character. I honestly love writing about her and the rest of the gang. :)
DG-Agent37-Lover: No worries! I'm glad you like the story so far! :D I had too much fun writing Tuffnut's interrogation scene. Honestly. Too much fun. :) Ooooooh, and Viggo...I kinda have a love-hate relationship with that guy, because he's an awesome villain, and really one of the first villains to ever outsmart Hiccup using just his brain and not his men to back him up, but at the same time...VIGGO. IS. EVIL. The bribing Heather, sending Barreck to try and break up the gang...gosh, he is evil. :) Thanks for the review! :D
Dimensional Girl: Hahahaha, that you can! :D
Carly Marley: HAHAHAHA, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Tuffnut is so funny. I know what you mean; I want to scream in Viggo's ear, too! XD
MoonTheNightWing: Hahahaha, I wish. But unfortunately, for this story, it needs to end with him alive, else I would have already let you kill him. XD
ilovedogs100: True that! Go Hiccup! :D
Tuthithezebracorn: I'm not giving away any spoilers! Good thought, though! :D Thanks for the review! :D Thank you! :D
"So, you're Ruffnut," said Viggo, entering the interrogation chambers; Ruffnut sat in the stool Tuffnut had once occupied, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"No, obviously I'm Tuffnut," said Ruffnut angrily. "Sheesh, do you guys ever learn? We aren't going to tell you hunters anything! We'll never talk, and nothing you say can make us!"
"Hmm, yes," said Viggo, nodding. "You are very loyal, and I respect that. However, loyalty can only last so long." He took his seat across from her and folded his hands; Ryker and Dagur kept their weapons drawn behind him. "So," said Viggo, "Tuffnut tells me Hiccup didn't trust you with the location of the Dragon Eye. Is this true?"
Ruffnut blew air out of her nose and tossed her head. "Look, of course it's true!" she said. "Hiccup doesn't tell us where his secret hiding place for the Dragon Eye is, not because he doesn't trust us, but because he wants to protect us from stupid interrogations like this! I don't know anything, alright? There! Interrogation over!"
"Trust must be earned," said Viggo, "and if you tell me any reliable information about the Dragon Eye, or of your home island of Berk, I can assure you, you will have gained my trust."
"Why the Thor would I want to gain your trust?" said Ruffnut. "You kinda made that impossible from the beginning. Kidnapping us, kidnapping Hiccup, taking our dragons, attacking us, endangering us, putting stupid Barreck against us, stabbing Hiccup, sending Dagur after us to try and mislead us, kidnapping us again, and now this. I'm never trusting you, Viggo. None of us are."
Viggo nodded. "Like I said," he said, "I respect your loyalty."
"Come on!" shouted Dagur. "Let me persuade her a bit! It wouldn't be hard! Just a slash or two with the sword, and she'll spill all the information she knows about Berk, the Dragon Eye, the best way to sneak up on the Berkians-"
"Dagur, enough," said Viggo sharply. "Do you know any secrets about the Dragon Eye, Ruffnut?" he asked.
"No," spat Ruffnut, "and if I did, I wouldn't tell you."
Viggo studied her for a moment.
"She's lying," said Ryker, stepping up. "Let me teach her a lesson-"
"There is no lie in her eyes, brother," said Viggo calmly. "She is telling the truth. You can escort her to her cell, and we will bring in the next dragon rider tonight, if by then we have not reached our destination."
"What destination!?" snapped Ruffnut, as Dagur forced her to her feet and shunted her away.
"You will learn when we arrive," said Viggo, waving his hand. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Ruffnut."
"Oh, the pleasure was all mine, Viggo! Come on! Let me wring your throat, I'll show you-"
The door slammed on hers and Dagur's retreating backs, and Ryker followed them back to the cells.
...
Tuffnut was thrown back into his cell once again, where Astrid, Fishlegs, and Snotlout were waiting. Tuffnut stood up, brushing off his shirt, and then, he looked up at each of the riders in turn.
"Okay, guys," he said, "so, I have news."
He didn't have a chance to say anything else before the door opened once again, and this time, Ruffnut was thrown back in. She stood up off the filthy, muddy ground, spitting dirt out of her mouth.
"What did Viggo want from you?" said Tuffnut.
"Same as Viggo wanted from you," said Ruffnut, sighing. "Information on the Dragon Eye. Ryker was a little different, though. On the way here, he bombarded me with questions. He asked a little bit about Berk, too, like, how many dragons were in its population, which way to go if they wanted a sneak attack…"
"And what did you tell them?" said Snotlout, crossing his arms.
"I told them they should try going in from underwater," said Ruffnut, giggling, hand in front of her mouth to stifle her laughs. "That would be hilarious. I hope we live to see that, you know."
"If we could just find a way to get out of these cells," said Astrid, "and if we knew where our dragons were, escaping wouldn't actually be very hard. But there's just the problem of getting out of here first…"
"But I have news!" said Tuffnut. "Important news! For once in my life, I have something important to say!"
"Well, if it's really that important," said Snotlout, "why don't you go ahead and spit it out? I'm bored. I wouldn't mind listening to one of your crazy-"
"I told Viggo we were all getting tired of the dirty cells," said Tuffnut, "right? And I think Viggo was trying to get us on his good side, you know? Because he said that he would have it arranged for us to be moved to another cell!"
"Tuffnut, that was genius!" said Fishlegs excitedly. "You're brilliant, Tuffnut!"
"Aw, you're just saying that," said Tuffnut.
"That's great!" said Astrid, grinning. "As soon as Viggo's guards come here to move us to another cell, we'll use what we can and make our escape. The only problem then is finding out where our dragons are…"
"Oh, did I forget to mention?" said Tuffnut, grinning. "Oh Thor, I am on a roll with this! I also got Viggo to show me exactly where the dragons are being held! Once we bypass the guards, we can go get them and get off this putrid ship!"
"Tuffnut, you're amazing!" said Astrid. "As soon as Viggo's men come to take us to another cell, we'll use our resources, take out the guards, get our dragons, and get out of here before Hiccup gives up the Dragon Eye."
…
"We've been flying for at least a day, Hiccup," said Heather. "Are we getting closer?"
"Yes!" Hiccup called back to her; behind Toothless and Windshear, the Changewings and Arrow Furies filed in a V formation. The moon hung over them, offering light to their path to Dark Deep. "We should be there any minute now! Look towards the North let me know if you see anything!"
He tossed his spyglass across the sky to her, and she caught it, raising it to her eye and looking towards the North.
"I don't see anything, Hiccup!" she said after a moment, throwing the spyglass back to him. He caught it, raised it to his own eye momentarily, and then lowered it again.
"Keep your eyes peeled!" he said. "We'll be there soon!"
He looked up at the sky. This was the third moon since his friends had been kidnapped, which meant today was the day. Today, he would give up the Dragon Eye as ransom for the other dragon riders.
Today was the day Viggo would execute his end game.
And Hiccup was prepared for it one hundred percent.
…
Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut waited at the front of the cell. Astrid had taken off her headband, and now she held it in her hands, ready to use it as a weapon if such a thing was possible, Behind her, the twins, Fishlegs, and Snotlout kept one hand on the horn of their helmets, which they planned to use as weapons as well. Ruffnut and Tuffnut held handfuls of dirt from the ground in balled fists; they planned to smash the mud in the guards' faces.
"Okay, so we all know the plan," said Astrid. "We strike the instant we have the chance, and once we strike, there's no backing out. Don't stop no matter what. Fight like your lives depend on it."
"Because they do!" added Tuffnut helpfully, nodding seriously. "Yeah! Near death! I love it!"
"You might change your mind if 'near death' turns into 'actual death'," said Snotlout flatly, and he reached down, grabbing a handful of mud. "Just a precaution," he told Fishlegs.
"Okay," said Fishlegs, "this has to work. If it doesn't, Hiccup will give the Dragon Eye to Viggo, and who knows what Viggo will do if he has that kind of power…"
"We can't let him get the Dragon Eye," said Astrid determinedly. "We have to get out of here before Hiccup gets here." She stopped suddenly when she heard the sound of a door swinging open and shut, followed by heavy footsteps.
Dragon hunter footsteps.
"Okay," Astrid whispered, "you all know what to do."
Viggo, Ryker, and Dagur were not amongst the dragon hunters; there were only ten hunters who had come to escort the dragon riders to their new cells. The hunter in front of the rest raised his keys, slipped one into the lock, and opened the cell door.
Astrid and the others allowed themselves to be pulled out forcefully. At the last second, Astrid looked over her shoulder; the prison guards left the decks to swap out with the other guards.
"Now!" Astrid whispered harshly as soon as the guards had gone, and they instantly put their brilliant escape plan into action.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut were the first to react, slamming their hands full of dirt and mud into the nearest dragon hunters' faces, aiming purposefully for their eyes. The hunters yowled, dropped their swords, and covered their eyes with their hands; Ruffnut and Tuffnut grabbed the swords off the ground and raised them threateningly.
One hit from Ruffnut.
One hit from Tuffnut.
The two dragon hunters dropped to the floor, unconscious.
Astrid kicked the nearest hunter in the stomach and slashed her leather headband like a whip against his face; when the hunter opened his mouth to shout, she wrestled his axe from his hands and knocked him out cold with the flat of it.
"That's for messing with me and my friends," she growled as if the unconscious soldier could hear her.
Three down, seven to go.
Fishlegs knocked out another hunter with his helmet, and he grabbed the unconscious dragon hunter's axe. "Fishlegs, look out!" Snotlout shouted from behind, and Fishlegs spun around, accidentally whacking a pouncing dragon hunter with the axe, knocking him out cold in an instant.
"Nice shot, Fishface!" said Snotlout, slamming a handful of mud into the nearest hunter's face; behind him, the twins, screaming like deranged madmen, charged and tackled another hunter to the ground. Snotlout knocked the soldier out with a well-aimed punch, and then, turned to the rest of the group.
Astrid knocked out the last soldier and straightened up, axe in hand. Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, and Fishlegs quickly gathered around, the twins carrying swords while Snotlout and Fishlegs, like Astrid, held axes.
"Alright," said Astrid, "now, we get our dragons." She snatched the keyring from the ground where the hunter had dropped it and set it at her own belt. "Tuffnut, lead the way."
"And be careful," warned Fishlegs. "We don't know what kind of boobytraps are set over this ship. There could be hundreds of them, so watch where you step."
"Right-e-o," said Tuffnut, nodding, already making for the door leading to the branching corridors. "Come on, guys, let's go get our dragons back!"
Just as the riders made to follow, a loud, continuous warning bell rang above them, back and forth, like the threatening screech of a dragon. Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked around, and Tuffnut shouted, "I didn't do that!"
"They must have put some sort of trigger on the floor," said Fishlegs, "so if we fought the guards, one of us would be bound to step on it."
Astrid froze. "Viggo knew," she said. "Viggo knew we were going to try and escape all along, from the very minute Tuffnut told him we wanted a new cell!"
"Who cares!?" shouted Snotlout furiously. "We have a chance right now, Astrid! Come on, we have to take it!"
"Everyone!" said Tuffnut, pointing his sword at the door, the warning siren still dinging menacingly. "Follow me! This way to your dragons!"
Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Ruffnut followed him instantly, weapons held tightly in clenched fists.
And Astrid wasn't sure, and she didn't stop to check, but she was almost positive she heard footsteps tromping down the stairs leading to the prison cells below decks, racing after them.