-walks in with another chapter- Oh, hello all. -is hit in the face with a tomato-

Okay, so I'm really sorry this update took so long. I updated this back in October, so then the holidays hit and I didn't get much done. Then I took Creative Writing that took up literally all of my writing. I'm really, really sorry. Please forgive me. This update isn't long, but it's just something to progress for you guys.

Disclaimer: HTTYD? Mine? Nope.

-Ash

Chapter 15

I pounded and pounded onto the old vent and it slowly began breaking apart. I shoved the leg of the rusted stool into the hole I just created and started to pry the covering off. I snarled in frustration as it barely budged. I tried again over and over, the vent cover still refusing to release. I repeated my actions again and the metal let out a small pop. I heard Astrid squeal in excitement and I swung my head towards her. Placing a finger to my lip, I shushed her. I turned my attention back to the vent, and the cover still wasn't fully removed. I started my process again.

Suddenly I heard the tap, tap, tap of boots coming down the hallway. My face paled as I glanced over at Astrid whose eyes were widened as mine were. She motioned widely with her arms for me to get down off of the bed I had been standing on. I followed her silent orders and plopped my ass down onto the cot, pretending I had been lying on it.

The footsteps drew closer and I felt my heart palpitating out of my chest. I don't think I was breathing anymore. A large figure approached my cell and I just tried to keep my eyes squeezed shut.

"Son."

My breath caught in my throat and I gazed up towards the man, "Dad?"

Clenching his fist around the steal cell bars, my father hung his head with obvious guilt.

"I'm so sorry." He rasped, "You were right. About everything. These people are evil and I can't even fathom what they've been doing before they moved the program here."

"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that." I responded in a harsh whisper.

Dad raised his chin and bore his eyes into mine, "How'd you do it?"

I darted my eyes before cocking a brow in confusion, "Do what?"

"The dragon. How'd you tame it?"

I chewed my lip and shrugged, "I don't know to be honest. He just sorta… let me train him I guess. Being gentle and showing them that you trust them and won't do them harm is the first step."

He grinned and held up a ring of keys, "Think you can do it again?"

My father, Astrid, and I stormed into this large electric room; it sorta seemed like a humongous chamber. When we reached our target we slowly tip-toed into the area, and all I noticed was the dragons. There were so many dragons caged up in this place. Unlike mine and Astrid's prison, the dragon cages were electrically charged. I remembered there being something similar on the arena when Astrid and I first found the ODRR Center on the back of Toothless. Why hadn't the arena been electrically charged when I was there? They just wanted the dragon to kill me instead of the electricity frying me alive?

"Dad, what exactly are they doing to them?" I growled in a harsh whisper.

He glanced around at the dragons in way too small cages. "Research."

I assumed he was sparing me the details. My dragon was not about to be tested. Not if I had anything to say about it. We stayed low as we creeped through the large room. The walls were completely steel to prevent dragon escape. I noticed tranquilizer guns around every corner. As we turned the corner, we saw the big boys. These were the aggressive dragons that I had read about. I glanced up and noticed the signs above the cages.

Astrid nudged me, seeming to have noticed them about the same time. "They're labeled," she murmured.

I gave her a curt nod before gazing down the hall and darting my eyes towards all of the signs. I saw it. "Night Fury" read the last sign. I dashed off towards the sign while passing all of the cages as the dragons growled in aggression. There was no longer time to be sneaky. I was getting my dragon, and I was getting him now.

When I arrived at the cage my heart fell. No Toothless. "H-He's not here!?"

"Looking for something?"

I spun on my heel towards the voice to see the man my father had called "Alvin"

approaching me. Snarling at him, I found my voice. "Where's my dragon?" I growled.

"Oh, well, it seems you just missed him. He has an appointment with some of my men. Don't worry, he's just taking some tests. Some not so painless tests," he drawled darkly.

I felt my eye twitch with anger, and my fist clenched. "If you hurt Toothless, you'll regret it!"

"I will, will I? Well young man, it seems to me that you can't do much. You're nothing but a worthless, weak child that can't even impress his own father," he chuckled. His words stung me as I tried to keep my composure. "I don't think you have enough strength to beat me even if I was bound and gagged."

"Don't listen to him, Harold!"

Both of our heads shot over to the new voice as I saw Astrid standing at the opposite end of the hall. I stared at her in surprise. "Astrid! Stop! What're you doing?"

"Don't let him get in your head! Your dad loves you, Toothless loves you, and I love you! You care about me more than anyone I've ever met. You've always been there for me. He is nothing but a worthless assh-"

"That's enough, you bitch! You'll be dragon food if you don't shut up!" Alvin screeched at Astrid. "I don't need a loving display. Your kind words mean nothing. You are just as worthless as-"

My brain went on autopilot as one of my fists decided to have a mind of its own. I swung without mercy and clocked Alvin straight in the nose. He reared back in surprise while grabbing his face. He shouted in pain and frustration as he tried to gather his bearings. I wasn't going to give him that chance. I immediately knew what to do. Run.

I scampered off towards Astrid and snatched her arm to pull her along with me. We saw my father waving us on at the exit. He must have been preparing to escape when I ran off. We sprinted towards him and zipped out the door down the white halls of the ODRR.

The sirens began blaring throughout the center. Alvin's voice came over the intercom as we ran. "Escaped prisoners! Get them!"

I paused at the sight of the flashing lights. "Dad, what now!?" I hissed in panic.

"We have to find the Night Fury. It's the only way," he replied as he continued to sprint past me.

I nodded and followed in suit. Glancing beside me at Astrid made my stomach church. "Go find somewhere safe," I called to her over the blaring sounds.

She cocked a brow at me. "Are you serious? We got into this together, so we're going to finish this together. You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Astrid, I can't lose you too."

The blonde just scoffed at me as she matched my speed. "You're not. We're going to kick this loser's ass."

"But-"

"Hiccup, no buts. I have done karate, I play softball, and I beat up Snotjerk for you. I'm not defenseless. If anything, I am physically stronger than you!"

"Offence taken."

"Don't be a baby! That's an impressive right hook you've got there. I must say I'm impressed."

"Aw, well thanks. I guess I can forgive your previous comments."

"Are you two really flirting right now!?" my father screeched as he sprinted in front of us. He grumbled something about "stupid teenagers" as he guided us towards the examination rooms. Was that flirting? Have we been flirting all the time? My bad.

We rounded the corner, and suddenly there were guards on our tails. "U-Um Dad—we've got company," I cried as I tried to pick up my speed.

"The dragon examination rooms are right through here. We're almost there. Hang on!"

I had to trust my father and continue on even though these goons seemed a lot faster than I was. Although all I could think at that moment was please don't trip, please don't trip, please don't trip.

My father burst open a pair of doubled doors, and the men inside jumped in surprise. We stood in the doorway. There we saw Toothless strapped onto a large, metal table. Suddenly my father and Astrid stormed the room and immediately jumped the two scientists standing there.

Dad leapt towards the scientist on the right of the table. The man tried to fight back against my obviously larger father. Dad merely grabbed the syringe from the man's hand and plucked it straight into his butt as he injected the sleep serum. The worker fell out cold onto the tiles.

Meanwhile Astrid hurdled towards the other scientists and he blocked her punches with his forearms, although he didn't expect her foot colliding with his face. The heel of her foot connected to the patch of skin right between his eyes. While he was startled, she grabbed his arm and pressed her fingers into his pressure point instantly making his world go dark.

I snapped my jaw shut after I saw the display before me. Astrid flipped her disheveled hair out her face with a whip of her head (which was very attractive and my mind basically put the moment in slow motion). They both turned to stare at me expectantly.

I blinked. "Yeah—well I can tame dragons." Astrid rolled her eyes before she started glancing around the room. I cocked a brow at her. "What is it?"

"We need a knife."

"You're not going to stab people now, are you?"

My father snorted at the comment, but Astrid merely shook her head. "No, you dork. We have to free your dragon?"

"Oh! Well in that case…" I bent down and pulled my pocket knife out of my sneaker with a grin.

The blonde stared at me stupidly. "How long have you had that?"

"I always have it?"

She stomped over to me. "You mean we could have used that at any time? Like when Alvin was threatening your life, or when we were trying to break out of prison?"

I shrugged at her. "But this wouldn't have been strong enough against the air vent. Plus we didn't need it anyway."

Astrid grabbing her head with a groan as she glared at me. "Still a weapon, Hiccup! We can use it!"

"Now is a good time to do so," my father chimed in.

I passed Astrid and began slicing through my dragon's restraints. He crooned at me as I heard the first patch of leather snap. "I know, bud. This will all be over soon," I cooed in an attempt to calm my reptile. I cut through the last few straps and Toothless sprung off the table.

He pounced on top of me and knocked me to the floor as his tongue lapped across my face. I cackled at him and tried to calm him down. "I missed you too, bud. We're going to get out of this." He slowed his actions with a purr, and I pushed him to sit up. I ran a gentle hand across his scales. "Did they hurt you?"

My dragon crooned and nuzzled against me. "Is that a yes or a no?" Toothless just continued to rub his face against my chest. I realized that he wasn't going to give a clear answer because there was something my dragon didn't want me to know.

"So what now?" Astrid asked as she glanced between my father and me.

I threw my fist in the air. "Now we go give Alvin a can of whoop ass!"

The blonde snorted at me. "One: never say that again and two: you have a problem," she said as she pointed towards Toothless' tail.

I allowed my line of sight to follow the direction she was pointing in. When I noticed what she was talking about my heart filled with dread. His saddle was gone and so was the tail I had crafted for him. I groaned and fell back onto the tiles. "Great."