Burning. That's all she could feel. It was everywhere. The muscles in her legs screamed with a mixture of exhaustion and adrenaline as she sprinted across the dewy grass. Her breath stung in her throat and her lungs burned with the desperate need for oxygen, but she kept running.

The only sound she could hear over her own heavy breathing and the blood pounding in her ears, were footsteps. Heavy and fast, they were advancing on her. A terrified sob wracked her body as she tried to push herself faster. It was in vain. She knew how small she was; how weak and incapable.

He was going to catch her.

She was going to die.

Astrid woke with a start. She gasped, but tried to slow down her heaving chest. Her head was heavy and sore, but the ache in her side was worse. It was stiff as well. Cringing as she tried to sit up, Astrid quickly realized where she was. The bed she was laying in wasn't her own, but one in the infirmary. They hadn't used this room ever since Punzie joined them, but Astrid used to be quite familiar with this department of their home.

"Hey there sleeping beauty."

Rubbing her head and looking blearily to her side, Astrid realized she wasn't alone. Ruff stood across the room at the counter, wiping down several instruments and putting them into cabinets.

"Ugh," Astrid groaned. She tried to stretch but there was pull on her side. "How long have I been out?"

"Since you've been here, only a few hours. Don't try walking or anything." Ruff shifted her feet, looking nervous before she spoke again. "Punzie and Tuff were gone when you guys got back. There was a call. I had to stitch you up and Punzie can't heal you now or the skin will heal over the stitches. If I cut them, I have no idea how much more blood you could lose."

"It's alright, Ruff," she mumbled. "How did-what happened? Is Hiccup okay?"

The girl motioned across the room and Astrid followed her gaze, eyes widening at the boy she hadn't realized was there. "Define okay."

Hiccup was sprawled out in an uncomfortable looking chair across from the row of beds. He'd changed out of his tux, wearing jeans and old t-shirt, but that wasn't what caught her attention. Hiccup was pale. Far too pale for what was considered normal. Heavy, dark purple splotches covered the space underneath his eyes.

"Is he sick?" She winced as she moved too quickly, trying to sit up again. "What's wrong with him?"

"Just tired," Ruff answered. "I don't blame him. He flew for nearly twelve hours. When you two landed, he was practically dead on his feet. Stupid kid wouldn't go lay down until you were stitched up. It was funny though. He had no idea I knew how to do this stuff and nearly had a heart attack when he realized Punzie wasn't here."

"He-he flew for twelve hours," Astrid demanded in disbelief. "How is that even possible?"

Ruff shrugged and shut the cabinets. "He was really scared. Apparently he stopped just long enough to tell Snot you two couldn't leave from the airport, then took off. Couldn't stop at a hospital either because they would ask too many questions. Bringing you straight here was the only option, but it was risky. You lost a lot of blood."

Astrid didn't say anything. She stared at Hiccup, long legs spread out in front of him and mouth slightly slacked, as she realized he saved her life. Again.

Ruff gave her friend a small smile, before sidestepping out of the room. She didn't leave quietly though. As the door slammed shut behind her, Astrid watched, smiling to herself, as Hiccup jerked awake, scrambling in his chair. He looked immediately to her. His exhausted, defeated eyes lit at the sight of her and a wide smile broke out on his pale face.

"You're awake," he grinned, sitting straighter in the chair.

"Thanks to you," she answered. "Did Snotlout make it back alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Are you alright though?" Hiccup leaned forward on his knees, smile slowly disappearing as he really looked at her. Astrid was sure her hair was a mess and she could feel the soreness on her cheek bones. No doubt there was were bruises scattered across the, but she knew she looked better than the boy in front of her.

"It was just a knife wound." She rolled her eyes, but he didn't look convinced. "I've had a lot worse."

"There was so much blood." Hiccup ran his hands through his hair, looking anywhere now but her face. Astrid suddenly realized how long the twelve hours must have been; holding a girl who was slowly dying and having only one option. "I could hear your heart beat the entire time and it just kept getting slower and slower-I flew as fast as I could, but I was so worried it wasn't fast enough. You were limp. You just hung in my claws and I don't know anything about injuries. I didn't know how long it would be until you bled out-."

"Hiccup. I'm fine."

"I had wrapped you in my shirt and when we landed it was completely soaked through. Then, Punzie was gone-."

"Hiccup." He finally looked at her, jaw set and mouth in a hard line. "I. Am. Fine. If you had showed up any later, things could have been a lot worse."

"I shouldn't have let you go in there alone," he muttered. "They were onto to us from the beginning."

"You need to stop beating yourself up," Astrid said quietly. "You followed the plan I came up with. If anything, it's my fault. I've been doing this stuff for years now. I should have been better prepared."

"But-."

No, no buts." She yawned and there was the same stinging pull on her side. "I'm too tired to argue with you now. I think Ruff overdosed me with pain killers." Hiccup cracked a smile, but it didn't reach his exhausted eyes. "Speaking of being tired, you need to get some sleep."

"I have gotten some sleep."

"I mean real sleep that isn't in a crappy chair." She rolled her eyes, but smiled when Hiccup stood up, stretching and yawning.

"You'll be alright?"

She nodded, already feeling tired again herself. Must have been some pain killers Ruff gave her. "Yep. Go rest Hiccup. You're no use to us dead."

"So, what do we know?"

The room was tense and rigid. All her friends were shoved into the infirmary. After Hiccup woke up and walked in to see Astrid staggering across the room to the door, he'd had been frustratingly adamant on her not leaving until she was healed. Since she technically was in no condition to be walking, let alone fighting her way out of Hiccup's orders, Astrid demanded the needed meeting be held where she could participate.

"We know they're working with a villain," Hiccup answered, from his spot sitting at the foot of Astrid's bed.

"Most likely more," Astrid interjected. "He said 'they' came to him. Probably meant some of Mirror's friends."

"And Felix LeBeau was just a stepping stone. They needed him to cover up the break in so they could get what they needed," Wiz said from the back of the room. "He wasn't heavily involved in whatever the big picture is."

"But they didn't get anything." Jack looked around at everyone in the circle, lightly twirling his fingers. Snotlout brushed snow off his shoulder and stepped away. "They needed something to work, it didn't go right, and as a last ditch effort they checked a high class science lab to see if they could use anything there."

"They also promised him he could live in a new world," Tuff said.

"So," his sister began. "I doubt this new world thing is something we want to happen."

"Definitely not," Astrid agreed.

"But we have no idea who Mirror is working with," Punzie said, trailing her fingers down her braid. "Or for. We can assume Dynamo and Blob are part of mix since they're the only ones not locked up, but I doubt that's it."

"I think we should pay Jinx a visit in prison," Snotlout replied. "See if she might know anything."

"It'll be a good start," Astrid decided. "There's nothing else we can do right now."

"I'm going to go see if I can dig up anything else on LeBeau," Wiz said, walking out of the room. "There might be something we missed."

"C'mon," Snotlout motioned to Tuff. "Let's try to get a meeting set up with Jinx."

Ruff didn't leave with her brother. Instead, she gave hard shove to Hiccup, knocking him off the bed and crossed her arms.

"Alright, boys. You've gotta leave too. I need to check her stitches."

Hiccup looked uncertainly to Astrid and Punzie noticed. "Go and play with your present. She'll be fine for five minutes without you."

"What present?" Astrid asked. When Hiccup left her room before, she'd slept for several more hours. For the first time, she was out of the loop and it bugged her to no end.

"The call Tuff and I went on involved some high class bank robbers," Punzie explained. "After we locked them away Tuff-uh took it upon himself to grab something for our newest member."

"And it's pretty freaking awesome," Jack said, grabbing Hiccup shirt and shoving him towards the door. "So if you need us, too bad. We'll be gone all day."

Hiccup was barely able to raise his hand, before Jack slammed the door after them. Astrid winced, pulling down the blanket and lifting up her shirt as Ruff eased her shorts down. The cut was still bruised, but clean and straight. Astrid was confident she'd be able to start walking soon.

"I think we have a problem," Ruff said suddenly, still inspecting her stitch work. Punzie raised her eyebrows and Astrid looked up, confused.

"What? It looks clean," she protested.

"No, no, no. This is fine." Ruff slowly pulled her shorts back and up and Astrid let go of the hem of her shirt, still watching her friend. "I'm talking about Hiccup."

"Did he do something?" Astrid asked. She looked to Punzie, but the young girl shrugged her shoulders.

"Not exactly. I'm a little concerned about what he might do."

"Uh-I don't follow."

Ruff sighed and sat on the edge of Astrid's bed, looking nervous before she spoke. "He's a great guy. I'm not saying anything against his character. Personally, I think he's the best thing that could have happened to you." Astrid narrowed her eyes at the last comment, while Punzie giggled. "But I'm worried his alter ego may have a more control than we originally thought."

"But he's not different when he phases," Astrid argued. "I mean, the first time he was, but he knows who he is."

"I don't think that'll always be the case though. When you first got back, he was a wreck. Kept shaking and letting out little growls. It was like that lizard was trying to come out." Astrid immediately thought of them at the party, at Hiccup slightly shaking in her arms. "I think his emotions are contributing to his change. That could be a problem, Astrid. You know it."

"Well, nothing has happened yet," Astrid said quietly. "We can just keep an eye on it."

Ruff looked doubtful, but didn't press the issue. "I wish I could have seen Hiccup's run in with Mirror. That must have been entertaining."

Astrid snorted. "Tell me about it. She tough and pretty smart. I wonder how he figured out it wasn't me. I never asked about that part."

"Apparently, he noticed your gun was missing," Punzie answered. "He told us after Ruff stitched you."

"Oh, that makes sense-." Astrid stopped mid-sentenced and looked, bewildered, at the girls in the room. "My gun was attached, hidden, on my thigh."

"So?"

"So, it can't be seen. He would have had to feel it to know it wasn't there."

Punzie let out breathy, surprised laugh while Ruff's high pitched cackles filled the room. Astrid's face quickly heated and her mouth grew painfully dry.

"Oh my God," Ruff practically yelled. "We know what Mirror was doing to distract him then."

A strange heat filled Astrid's chest, making it heave but also clench in frustration. She'd never felt like this before. Annoyed at the image now in her head and Ruff's irritable laughter, she narrowed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek.

This new feeling confused her, but Astrid did know one thing. She was definitely pissed now.

you guys are great! your feedback is beyond fantastic. please keep reviewing everyone!