Worst in Show

Two weeks after the Screaming Death made its grand but unwelcome entrance into world the ones responsible for bringing it to Berk in the first place were paying Berk their own unwelcomed visit.

Alvin, Mildew and Savage were now in the same cave that Hiccup and Boden had discovered the eggs and Alvin was yelling so loudly and furiously at Mildew it was quite shocking really that no-one topside was hearing him threating to behead Mildew for the failed Whispering Death plan.

He was also bitching at Mildew for being such a lousy turncoat as he'd offered any really juicy or anything of true worth of Berk itself as the people of Berk had at least been smart enough to keep all the vitally important information top secret for him.

"You're a useless bag of bones, Mildew! And your sheep smells as bad as you do too! Give me one good reason I shouldn't slice your jugular wide open right now? Because as far as I can see me old friend Stoick and his pretty little wife Valka were right about you!

You're a vile little maggot of no use at all and should just be put six feet under me boot! So give me one good reason in the next five seconds not to do it?!" as that sword was getting ready to slice open Mildew's jugular vein

"Um you know the old Viking saying "When life gives you fish heads make chowder? Well the Whispering Death may have failed in their job in destroying Berk. But their tunnels they left behind are your chowder. Think about all you could do with these tunnels, Alvin!

You could spy, plunder, and perhaps even get close enough to get three highly valuable children who you still need if you really want to take over the known world?" Mildew said in quick rush while sweating like he was in a room full of Fireworms.

Alvin withdrew the sword and slammed into the rock right next to Mildew's head still slicing off a good chunk of hair.

"Well, maybe you're useful after all Mildew. For now let's see if your chowder is any good. Savage let's see how good these tunnels are! C'mon! I want find out all I can of Berk and remember I want those brats alive!" and laughing manically he started down the nearest tunnel.

"He's still gonna kill me isn't he?"

"Not today, but I try my best to get him those kids. I don't get why he's still obsessed with them, but if we can get him those kids no-one has to worry about losing their heads, that's for sure. Now come on if you don't want to lose some fingers or toes!" Savage told him as they followed their sinister leader.

A good three and half miles out to sea the Riders along with their siblings were in the mists of practicing their rescue skills. Though to Hiccup, Boden and Una and the rest of the younger siblings' disgust all the other teenagers were displaying exceedingly bad in addition obnoxious behavior.

Something that truly was in fact highly immature and ironically they should be teaching their younger siblings not do to. On the other hand it was the younger siblings today who along with Haddock siblings telling the Riders that their behavior was by far deplorable.

For the Riders were all being beyond arrogant, overly competitive, showing bad sportsmanship and the worst thing was turning the whole training thing into a competition which brought out an exceptionally horrid side of each of them.

Not a soul were paying attention at all to the wisdom from Haddocks and their younger siblings that life isn't a competition, about fair play, good sportsmanship and teamwork.

And most importantly they ought to be acting with respect, honor and humility. Being much more mature and responsible then they're being right now as a matter of fact. That no-one was better than another and everyone was good at different things but in fact everyone was important together as a group.

Though the competitive pigheadedness fever had too strong a hold on their older siblings and nothing any person was saying was gonna get through to anyone no matter what.

Which was what lead them all back to the Academy later that same day.

"Okay we have a solution to see who the top Dragon Trainer is and to prove once and for all who got the skills and who doesn't. I give you the even playing field," Fishlegs said as he opened a crate full of house cat sized dragons.

"Terrible Terrors?" barked Snotlout with laugher and looked at him as if didn't have a brain, "This is what you call an even playing field?"

"Yeah. We all get the same dragon and have 24 hours to train it. Then tomorrow we see who did the best and then we'll truly know who the best is. And to make it really interesting the losers all have to muck out the stalls of the other's for a month."

"Oh you're totally on!" Snotlout expressed with glee.

"When we win we'd like our dragon's stall to smell like a field of mountain flowers!" the twins informed the others as they took two bright yellow Terrors.

"I feel so sorry for all of you because Stormfly after she's had her chicken been known to have bits of the bones still in her dung. Hope you don't mind cutting your hands when you're cleaning her stall up!" Astrid taunted them as she took her Terror.

"Well, all of you are gonna get sizzled because Hookfang's crap is very HOTTTTTTT! OWW!" as his Terror bit him and he was groaning loudly from it.

"Well, we all better get going and of course all of you'll be helping us with training these guys. So you'll know what to do when you become real trainers. Let's get going!" As the Riders started to walk out without even noticing their own siblings hadn't even said a word this whole time.

The fact of the matter was the Riders really had been ignoring their siblings all day because of the stupid fever they had and now it was getting worse. So they looked to Hiccup this time for guidance since he was the only sane older sibling left.

"What are we supposed to do?" they asked him in unison.

"Well, I can tell you all right now I don't think this is gonna end pretty. What I'm gonna advise all you to do is this. Make sure your brothers and sisters don't get so competitive they fail to remember what's actually important."

"So we are supposed to try and keep them from doing anything too stupid?" the kids asked if they had the right translation.

"Yeah, I'll make it simple for you. Right now your big brothers and sisters are being a bunch of idiots. It doesn't happen often when the younger siblings have to be the voice of reason for their older siblings.

However it does happen sometimes and right now it's happening for you. So for now you all must take the lead and be the ones to watch over your brothers and sisters since they're lacking common sense and being both stupid and highly irresponsible."

"So for now you must be the grown up ones. It's not easy when the children have to be the adults, but sometimes we actually have the wisdom of the ages that our older siblings lack," Boden started to say and Una finished.

"Or in this case they not only lack it, they didn't learn it in the first place and aren't listening to those who actually know what's what. So you've got to be the rock. You must be the mature and responsible ones. So we wish you good luck."

"We shall do our best! You can count on us, Hiccup, Boden and Una! We'll make you proud!"

"Now you better catch up with them before they get so stupid they walk off the cliffs of insanity," Hiccup actually said in a serious tone and the children nodded and hurried off to be the responsible ones for a change.

"I'm scared for them, bro. I'm also scared the Riders are gonna do something incredibly stupid and dangerous because they're being really big idiots right now!" Boden informed his brother as they headed home with their own Terrors.

"And if they do do something really stupid they've got three people they'll have to answer too. Three really angry people. Because if their foolishness ends up getting one of their siblings hurt they got to answer to Mommy and Daddy and the mom of whoever they got hurt."

"Yeah, facing that kind of music won't be pretty neither will be the punishment they'll face because we all knew when we took the Vow of Siblinghood we were doubly accountable for everything.

And if they got one of the kids hurt? Well they would have to face a punishment nonetheless not just because of the Vow but just because of the village rules and I'm not even wanting to guess what our parents and the moms in Mom's Brunch Club would come up with as a punishment if the Riders ever got one of their siblings hurt!" Hiccup shivered as did his own brother and sister as they hurried home.

Later that evening just as Valka was getting things ready for the kids to take their bath their came knock on the door. Hiccup went too answered and was surprised given it was after dark to see Alle giving him a pleading look with her big ocean blue eyes.

"Alle, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you gone back to your own house by now? Surely Fishlegs didn't make you and Lanon stay this late? Or did he and the Riders keep you past your curfews?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"I don't know about the other kids but I had to come and get you. Fishy been so feverish he's been not only ignoring me and Lanon he won't even play with Meatlug! She's been trying to play "Toss the Sheep" with him for two hours and all he cares about is training the Terror he named Iggy! You've got to come! Please!"

"Hiccup? What's going on?" called out his mother.

"I've got to go and try and talk some sense into Fishlegs and then take Alle home. I'll be back in half an hour, Mom."

"Okay, make it quick. You still have to take your own bath tonight and I don't want all the good water to be used up."

Alle was practically dragging him to Fishlegs's house to point she nearly popped his arm out its socket. He sighed and opened the door and was immediately sadden by the sight he saw.

Sitting in the corner with a very depressed look was Meatlug and in the other corner was someone he didn't recognize. For yes he'd grown up with Fishlegs and he knew him. He was a timid good-natured bookworm who sometimes spewed facts without thinking about it.

But who was sitting in the corner talking to the small dragon wasn't that boy. It was someone with a very ugly personality one that Hiccup didn't like and neither did Meatlug or Alle who was look at Hiccup with a pleading look.

"Fishlegs!"

"Hiccup!? What are you doing here?! Coming to spy on me? Trying to see what I'm up too so you can win the competition? Never knew you to be a cheater!" he accused.

"Fishlegs do you even hear yourself?! I came here because your sister came to my house practically in tears because you've ignored her all day like your ignoring Meatlug.

Don't you or any of the Riders get it? It's the people we love that are more important than winning or losing which is completely meaningless to begin with?

You may win a game Fishlegs but I think you and all the Riders right now are failing to see what really losing at. And what it truly means to be a winner or a loser.

I just hope it doesn't take a tragedy to help you all learn what myself, Boden, Una and all your guys siblings been trying to tell you all day!" he yelled at him with clenched fist as he shook with anger.

He turned to leave with Alle then paused at the door before look right at Fishlegs. "You really won't know what really won till you've lost it, I'm afraid. As for who's the best in show, Fishlegs? None of you are. All of you are the worst in show by far. That I can tell you is a fact! C'mon, Alle let's get you home before your Mommy skins me alive."

As the door slammed behind him it just left Fishlegs stunned for all of five seconds before he went right back to his ugly self with Meatlug looking more depressed.

While the this fever been running amok with the Riders Alvin, Mildew and Savage had been making their way through dozens of tunnels. They'd ended up at least six yak farms along the way, as well as a detour around Gobber's outhouse which hadn't been pleasant at all, but finally after traversing all night they finally managed to get close enough to the Academy.

Moving from their tunnel to their new hiding spot to spy all three of the ugly and rotten men had the same three questions running through their minds as they watched the Riders and the children enter the arena.

The three questions where in this order. Question number one. What the heck where these Riders doing with small dragons like Terrible Terror? Question number two. Who the heck where all these small children lounging around the Riders' dragons? And question number three and most importantly what could they personally get out of the whole situation.

The children who were by now so sick and tired of their older brothers and sisters stupid and immature behavior didn't even bother to watch them make even bigger fools out of themselves.

They'd all plugged up their ears one way or another and instead focused on giving the dragons the love and attention they'd been neglected for the past day and half.

Hiccup, Boden and Una on the hand had to suffer through the continuously rising fever of the other Riders.

They went first just to try and get this over with as fast as possible and hopefully get everyone back to normal. Hiccup had trained his Terror he'd named Sharpshot to basically live up to his name. Boden trained his Terror Copycat to be able to mimic any ability he saw another Terror show. Una's Terror whom she named Harmony had the ability to calm down any other dragon as well coordinate them to work in harmony.

Needless to say none of the other kids were impressed. Astrid felt her Terror Sneaky was far more impressive with his stealth skills that made him almost invisible.

The Twins taught Butt and Head to ram each other in the head which could be useful as an attack one had to admit to that.

Fishlegs with flashcards taught his dragon Iggy be able to retrieve the item on the card.

All Snotlout's dragon Pain did was have a very powerful but painful bit but it was impressive jaw strength if it did take Gobber an entire day to remove him.

Of course the instant everyone was done showing off their Terrors they become the Brickerson Riders of Berk and even started to get a little physical with each other as they now were battling it out themselves of who was top dog.

Hiccup, Boden and Una now were caught in the middle of a dogfight trying to get everyone to calm down and knock some rationality back into them. It was at this time all the other kids had jumped up and tried to help break up the fight.

That is everyone but Alle that is. She had start to get up but then noticed Meatlug was going out of the arena as if she was sensing something not right. Curious she followed Meatlug who seemed to have caught the scent of something.

What she had caught was the scent of three Outcast and she blew the cover literally as the rocks that hid them were blown away.

"This would be a good time to retreat back to the tunnel," Mildew whispered to Alvin who retorted angrily.

"Alvin the Treacherous never retreats!"

"Then Alvin the Treacherous is gonna have to explain to Stoick the Vast what's he's doing on Berk!" Mildew replied back and he started running to the tunnel to which Alvin start to go when he noticed out the corner of his eye a flash of a pigtail a little ways away.

"Well I ain't leaving Berk empty handed and before Alle knew what was happening Alvin had her in his grip and he also managed in the same stroke to knock out Meatlug before she could try and get her.

Alle's scream was still heard all the same and everyone back at the arena heard that scream and quickly looked around and noticed who was missing.

"Alle?! ALLE!" they all quickly rushed out of the arena in time to see the Outcast escape down the tunnel with both Meatlug and Alle.

"NO! Meatlug! ALLE! ALLE!" and everyone was shocked and pale. The Riders tried to fire on the blocked tunnel for a few minutes till Hiccup yelled at them to stop and he couldn't help it he had to reprimand them right then and there.

"Didn't I tell you this would happen?! Didn't I warn you all?! NOW DO YOU SEE WHAT MYSELF, MY SIBLINGS AND YOURS WERE WARNING YOU ALL ABOUT?!

NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I WORRY MYSELF TO SLEEP ABOUT EVERY SINGLE NIGHT?! AND YOU KNOW WHAT?! I'M NOT EVEN FEELING ANY PITY FOR ANY OF YOU RIGHT NOW SINCE YOU ARE ALL AT FAULT FOR THIS RIGHT NOW!

BECAUSE YOU WERE ALL SO STUPID AND FOOLISH WITH YOUR STUPID NEED TO TRY AND BE THE BEST THAT YOU PUT ONE OF YOUR OWN SIBLINGS LIVES IN DANGER?!

NOW DO YOU GET WHAT I MEAN ABOUT WHAT REAL WINNING AND LOSING IN LIFE IS?! AND NOW DO YOU GET WHAT WE COULD LOSE FOREVER IF WE DON'T ACT FAST?!

SO YOU ALL BETTER STOP ACTING LIKE IDIOTS AND HELP COME WITH A PLAN TO GET BOTH ALLE AND MEATLUG BACK RIGHT NOW!" he finished screaming and his face was so red and they're all taken aback but it was nothing compared to all the angry looks on everyone else faces staring at the Riders.

"We know the tunnels like the back of our hands," Ruff spoke up quickly.

"Yeah we've explored them with Creel and Gala. The Outcast are likely at the exit that lets out on the beach on the far side of the island." Tuff informed Hiccup.

"Let's get there now. And we need a plan how to rescue both of them safely!"

"Already got one cooking," said Astrid as the kids got loaded up fast and they took off.

Back on the Outcast Ship Meatlug was being finished secured as for Alle? Savage was trying to her up but she wasn't about to make it easy for him. She was still fighting for her life.

"Let me go! Let me go you ugly pond scum!" kicking him in the shin hard.

"Oww!" he winced in a lot of pain from it and Alle was ready to continue to "Sing". When they'd been trained in basic combat and self-defense Astrid had made sure all the girls knew the four sensitive areas of a man's body and told them to "Sing"

Solar plexus, instep, nose and groin. All the girls had mastered it enough because they'd been allowed to use it on their older brothers who'd willing submitted to the punishment and well they'd nursed their pride for three days well by the time the girls were done with them.

Well, everyone but Hiccup, of course. The girls would never hurt the chief's son and he was too nice anyway. So it had been only Tuffnut, Snotlout and Fishlegs who'd been part of the training exercise, willingly yes, but they'd been the punching bags.

Alvin wasn't amused as Alle's wrists were finally bound behind her back and she was pushed up against the mast. He was also yelling at both Savage for having a pint size little girl beat him up and then turning to Mildew if he at least knew who the kid was and if she be any use to them.

Again despite this being a very harrowing situation thanks to the training from her siblings and learning some tricks from Boden from their playdate Alle was already on her way out of her binds.

Boden because of his claustrophobia was an expert escape artist and lock picker. And he knew how to conceal things for these talents so well an enemy would never find them.

So when the children been given their Gronckle Iron daggers he'd shown them how best to conceal them and get to them if something like this should happen. So while the Outcast were doing all their yelling her dagger dropped into her hands and she easily sliced her binds.

Then remember her training again she stabbed them all in shins causing them more agony.

"You little…" Alvin start to say and before he could get the next word out which was good since it not be right for an eight year old to hear it, flaming hot spine shots cut him off.

"What?!"

"Okay Stormfly! Hookfang! Combo attack again!" yelled Hiccup as Astrid had Stormfly shoot off more spins which then Snotlout had Hookfang engulf in flame in midair.

"We need steam now! Ruff! Tuff now!" order Hiccup and the Twins made a fast circle around the boat and caused a lot of steam and under the cover of the steam Hiccup was able to fly in with Fishlegs who was riding with him and they grabbed Alle off the deck.

She hugged her brother tightly but looked back as if to say without saying "What about Meatlug.

"Don't worry, Alle, the second wave is gonna get Meatlug," Fishlegs whispered.

When the steam cleared Alvin was screaming where was the girl and the Riders? And then things happened in very quick succession. From on top of the Outcast mast unnoticed by anyone was a very pretty lilac Terror.

She was chipper in different ways and each time she chippered a different way one of the Riders used their skills with the help of a teal terror copying the move of the other.

One by one Sneaky, Butt and Head, Iggy and Pain working with Harmony, Copycat and Sharpshot to free Meatlug. Very quickly and carefully Fishlegs and his siblings got back on Meatlug and secure on her saddle.

Then for the finishing touch Hiccup and his siblings finish off Alvin's ship with a combo blast of their own. So now no more chowder for Alvin. He only had fish heads as he had to hope all the driftwood would get him back to his own island in one piece.

Though as they flew home the Riders knew they were on a sinking ship as well. It went without saying because of this they'd all have to face Hiccup's parents as well as Alle's mother because they all were at fault for what happened.

Which meant they're all gonna have to face whatever punishment that both the Chief and two mothers saw fit for their foolishness and whatever it was it wasn't gonna be pretty.

However at least for Hiccup, Boden, Una and the younger siblings they're at least finally happy the fever had been broken and the lesson had been learned. And whatever punishment was in store for the Riders it wouldn't be one they forget!