Nine: Broken

Toothless received the call half an hour after Hiccup left-but he didn't need to tell the others what it was because the look on his face told the tale. Fishlegs gasped and the twins shared a look and removed their hats-or in Tuff's case, his stormtrooper helmet.

"He's gone-and Fury won't have made it in time," he said grimly. Astrid looked up.

"He?"

"Fury's father-his only living relative," Ruff said softly. "Everyone else was taken and they almost killed his father. He was in an irreversible coma for two years….but he's known this day was coming. We all have."

Looking round the three friends, Astrid got the first inkling of what kind of man Hiccup Haddock had been before whatever disaster befell him. They were loyal and genuinely cared about a man who had been ruthless, deceptive, sarcastic and lethal…but there had been flashes that hinted at wounds that were well-concealed but incredibly deep.

"Dagur did this, didn't he?" she said thoughtfully. Tuff nodded, ignoring Toothless's slight shake of the head.

"Yeah, he wanted to erase every last trace of the Haddock family because Fury killed…"

"And that's more than enough," Toothless cut in, glaring at the male twin. Fury had given them the talk not to disclose anything about himself to the agents…though he had already broken that rule with Fishlegs. But anything directly related to Fury's mission was taboo. "Give the man some privacy, will you?" Snotlout cracked open an eye.

"Why?" he growled. "He's a stone-cold killer…"

"He's a human being," Astrid told him sharply. "And he is doing what we couldn't do…"

"What?" Snotlout demanded, scowling and sitting up. "What has he actually done so far? All we've done is half-assedly attack Dagur's organisation and set me up as a crime Lord. He's destroyed half of Berserk and killed several men in cold blood in the street. And now he's working for Dagur to remove the competition-and we're helping him! So what has he actually done for us?"

"He's getting Dagur's trust so he can get close," Astrid told him sharply.

"And the job is still in progress," Fishlegs reminded him as he looked up from his screens. "You cannot judge results until the end. And we have a location for you." Astrid glared at Snotlout and then rose to her feet, checking the pistol concealed in her ankle holster.

"Where?" she asked.

"Word has it he is shacked up in Loki's Casino," he reported. "Surveillance cameras confirms they seem to have take most of it over." The female agent glanced at him and then across the room.

"Anyone fancy doing something useful?" she asked briskly. Tuff shook his head.

"I'm too depressed," he sighed and collapsed back onto the couch. "Sympathetic mourning…" Shaking her head, Astrid grabbed her jacket and headed to the door.

"It's dark and no one will pay us much mind," she said. "But I'll go…since Snotlout is on his beauty sleep and no one else is bothered." So with a scornful look, she stormed to the door and slammed out.

Toothless glared round the room, seeing Snotlout lie back, snoring, the twins looking depressed and Fishlegs appearing self-conscious but making no move to follow. Everyone seemed happy to allow the woman to head out on her own without back-up.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked, rising and grabbing his coat. "You know this is crucial: no Madguts, no Dagur. And right now-all Fury has left is finishing Dagur. So indulge yourselves. But remember-Fury wouldn't let her go alone. So-you wait here for Fury. I'll go make sure she doesn't get herself killed…"

As the door slammed, Snotlout looked up, staring at the twins, lying upside down on the couch and Fishlegs blushing with embarrassment.

"What's eating him?" he complained and then went back to sleep.

oOo

Toothless caught up with Astrid about a hundred yards down the road-but with some difficulty because she was marching along very fast, her eyes flashing with rage and frustration.

"Hey, hey-slow down!" he called and grabbed her arm-and she turned back to him, her eyes shining with so much emotion he instinctively dropped her arm. She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Look-why are you here?" she asked. "To make sure I don't do anything to ruin Fury's suicide mission?" He grimaced.

"A little," he conceded. "But on a mission, he insists he's the only one taking risks…because we didn't sign up for his life."

"I'm an agent," she sighed, her voice gruff. "And I know exactly what it involves." He narrowed his eyes. "My entire family were in the service. My Dad and Uncle Finn both were agents-and three years ago, they were both killed on a mission, fighting corruption in the highest levels of the service and the government. And I recall the news when they were killed, the devastation…and though we always knew it was a possibility…it still turned my world over. So I can appreciate how devastated he will be."

Toothless rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"You don't know the half of what that bastard's been through," he murmured. "And he lost his whole family-except his father and Gobber, who's a kind of Uncle. And now his father, who he was very close to, is gone…"

"Dagur killed them, didn't he?" she asked quietly, inspecting his face. He grimaced again.

"Yeah-if anyone deserves to die, he's first on the list," he admitted. She nodded.

"Okay-so how are you at Casino games?" she asked him as they turned back along the road. He gave a big grin.

"I'm a computer nerd-I play all sorts online," he admitted. "But I'm hoping that they'll all be paying attention to you and not noticing what I'm doing…" She smiled and unbuttoned the top three buttons on her white blouse. "And I think that will do it…"

"Eye front, Mr T," she winked and linked her arm with his. "I'll distract attention while you observe Madguts and see what we can offer Hiccup when he gets back." The jet-haired man sighed.

"It won't matter," he told her grimly, "because no matter what we tell him, he'll go in and finish it."

oOo

The door opened and three of the four occupants of the room looked up at the tall shape walking silently in. Fishlegs opened his mouth and made to speak but the look on Hiccup's face silenced him. Ruff swatted her brother's shoulder and the twins stood up, not saying a word but moving to each side of the man, wrapping their arms around him and hugging him tight between them.

"Thorston sandwich," Tuff murmured, feeling the hitman remain tense for a long moment. Ruff hugged harder.

"We're truly sorry," Ruff murmured and there was a long moment before their friend sighed and relaxed, allowing his head to drop and the twins to envelop him in a long hug. "You aren't alone," she added. He swallowed.

"Everyone dies alone," he said quietly and nodded in gratitude. "But until then, I have you."

"And us," Fishlegs piped up as the hitman raised his head and scanned the room. His brows dipped in a frown as he realised the gaps in the scenery. Snotlout scowled and pointedly lay back nonchalantly as Hiccup turned to the husky agent.

"Where's Astrid?" he asked pointedly. "And where's Toothless?"

oOo

Loki's Casino was loud, bright and busy, with the insistent dissonant whine of the slot machines, the jarring electronic ditties as victories occurred and chink of coin in machine as the addicts continued to fritter away their cash almost drowning out the shouts, laughter and music of the main gaming area. Waitresses clad as scantily as was legal twirled, depositing drinks and removing empty glasses, complementary snacks and reassuring smiles encouraging the patrons to continue spending.

The Murderous Syndicate had occupied half of the Poker Tables, driving away disgruntled regular punters and pawing the waitresses with abandon. They were loud and raucous and abused anyone coming close, drawing scowls from the owners-though not enough for them to brave the gangsters and their ire.

Playing at a Blackjack table to one side of the Casino, Toothless glanced over at the gangsters and sighed. Madguts the Mincer was a large, ugly man with a scar down the right side of his face and a thick moustache. His dark hair was shaved short and he clapped his right hand man on the shoulder.

"We're a little short on playmates," he growled. "How about her?" He indicated to the sultry shape of Astrid, leaning against the bar, toying with a margarita and trying to appear disinterested in what was happening. Her long blonde hair was loose over her shoulders, her blouse was open almost to her cleavage and she was chatting to the barman, asking how lonely she was…when two men from the Murderous group came up behind her. She looked up, a blonde brow arched and face sceptical.

"Can I help you boys?" she asked quizzically and the men-both bulky men with hard faces and covetous eyes nodded.

"Boss wants to have a word with you!" the one of the left said. His dark eyes glittered as she stretched.

"Really?" she asked coyly. "And who is your boss?" The man gestured to the leering shape of Madguts.

"He wants you to be his playmate," the second man leered. "And he ain't taking no for an answer!" She looked over at the gang boss and smiled.

"Maybe we can have a few drinks and I can see how well he plays," she said as she got up and glanced over at the barman. "Another one of these please-and charge it to the man over there," she added as she turned and sashayed towards the Murderous gang leader. He eyed her with appreciation and gave a broad grin.

"Hello, gorgeous," he growled as she took the seat next to him.

"Well, hello yourself!" she shot back. "What should I call you?"

"Master," he growled. "And we're gonna have some fun, honey." She slapped his hand as he reached for her.

"Fresh!" she scolded him firmly. "We're going to have a drink while I'm waiting for my boyfriend and you can tell me all about yourself…" He grabbed her arm and the two men stood behind her.

"You are going to sit here and be nice to me-or your boyfriend is going to have a very warm welcome when he turns up," Madguts snarled. The barman walked up and quietly rested her drink down by her. In a fury, he slapped it aside, the tinkling of the smashing glass and the sudden silence cutting through the chaos in the room. "So smile and play nice, girl, or I'll have him gutted in front of you!"

"Get off me!" she snapped, struggling as the men pressed down on her shoulders. Madguts grabbed her face in his hand and leaned forward, pressing a greedy kiss on her lips. Eyes slamming wide with indignation, she pulled back and spat in his face. He chuckled scornfully.

"Get her a double bourbon on the rocks," he commanded the barman, who was clearing up the mess. "And keep the whisky coming!" Casting a glare at the gang boss, she ground her teeth in anger.

"Aren't you concerned that the real boss of Berserk will come and crush you like an ant?" she spat but Madguts just laughed scornfully.

"If Dagur the Deranged wants to come in here and face me himself, I'll kill him where he stands!" he scoffed. "Now you should be more worried about your boyfriend-and yourself. Nice looking piece like you…well, we'll be having a lot of fun later on…once he's disposed of…"

Glancing an agonised look over at Toothless, Astrid grabbed her bourbon and downed it in one, grimacing. She still hated the taste of the beverage but it was a better option than looking into Madguts' scarred face as she tried anything to come up with a plan..

Thor…how am I going to get out of this?

oOo

Arriving at the Casino, with the twins and Snotlout grumbling at his back, Hiccup made a brusque gesture and they shut up, seeing the man narrow his emerald eyes, his gaze focussed on the busy space-and then he pulled his shades on and dragged a baseball cap over his striking auburn hair. Grabbing a beer bottle from the trash, he stumbled in, an arm around Ruff's shoulders as the others followed. Tuff was grinning and telling some ridiculous tale about his pet chicken while Snotlout had also pulled his shades on and was trying to pretend he wasn't the rival that Dagur had been assuming was muscling into his turf. But no one was paying attention to them amid the throng enjoying the slots and they sped forward until they had a clear view of the poker tables-and Astrid.

"Loki-is that Madguts the Mincer with his goons holding Astrid?" Ruff asked in surprise. Hiccup massaged the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Well, why shouldn't she be in the one place that I don't want her to be?" he muttered. "I mean, I can't get close to him because he will recognise me…" And then he smiled and looked across. "But he won't recognise T." Tuff stared in the direction he was and he gaped.

"Toothless?" he mouthed. "Oh Thor…" Hiccup drew back and vanished behind the Jackpot machine, then pulled out his phone and dialled Toothless's personal number. As he hoped, the man touched a hand briefly to his ear and the bluetooth device sitting there.

"Yeah?"

"Taco delivery man. How do you like your chilli?" Hiccup asked him.

"Hot hot hot," the handler said with a sigh. "Rather more old friends here than anticipated and everyone has been hitting the tequila! Any suggestions?"

"Tell him that Dag and his entire organisation are on their way," he said. "Tell him I sent the warning. That should get his attention. I'l handle the rest…"

"Understood. Blackjack!" Smiling, the hitman ended the call and tucked his phone away.

"And what will that do?" Snotlout growled as Hiccup watched his friend collect his winnings and casually get up, leaving the table. He walked confidently up towards Madguts but stopped as the heavies blocked his path. And then he smiled.

"I have a message for you, Murderous. From Night Fury," Toothless said with no hint of apprehension. "The 'other boss' in town is a fake but Dagur believes he is real-and he is you. His entire organisation and all his troops are heading here to bury you. Fury suggests that you exercise the better part of valour unless you want a decent Berserk Burial…" Astrid's eyes widened as they scheme was exposed just like that. She glared at Toothless, who totally ignored her, for he was watching the Murderous Syndicate men grabbing for their guns and muttering like they were ready for a firefight.

"I think I'll take my chances," Madguts growled and there was a pause before Toothless shrugged.

"Your choice-but Fury asked me to deliver the warning. I think he enjoys working for you and wanted you to be alive to work for again…" he shrugged. "Good luck…" He turned away and walked away to cash in his chips. There was a pause as the gang boss frowned…and then turned to his men.

"Rikkard, Finn, Jens-you're with me. The rest of you-stay here and watch out for the Berserkers," he ordered. "Tomas, Knut-take the blonde to our temporary HQ. I'll catch up later so we can have our fun." Two huge men hauled Astrid up and dragged her out towards the garage as Madguts headed in the opposite direction. Cursing under his breath, Hiccup ducked back and looked at his companions.

"Ruff-follow Madguts and make sure he leaves the building," he ordered. "You two-watch the men here. Play a few slots-and warn me if they move."

"Where are you going?" Snotlout snapped, his tone irritated. He resented taking orders from the hitman, even though playing a gang boss had been fun.

"To get Astrid," the hitman said in a toneless voice.

"Hey-I should go rescue her," Snotlout said arrogantly. "She'll be disappointed if it's not me…" But the hitman shook his head, recalling her antipathy to the stocky and self-absorbed agent.

"Don't worry-I'll tell her it was all you," he said sarcastically-but Snotlout's face lit with a shocked smile.

"You-you'd do that for me?" he asked in a touched voice as Hiccup sighed heavily.

"No-of course not," he snapped and drew his pistol, heading for the garage. Keeping to the shadows and listening hard, he found his way with little trouble and ducked down as he heard the sounds of cursing and struggling. Astrid was wrestling furiously against the two men who had taken her away and as he watched, she got a good kick that doubled one of the men up. Almost wincing in sympathy, Hiccup dodged behind a Corvette and thumbed off the safety, inclining his head to get his range.

"Get off me!" she grunted, earning herself a slap. "Munge bucket son of a half troll! I'll…"

"What?' one of the men growled. "Do nothing! Until the Boss decides he's fed up of you-and then we get our share…"

"Share this!" Astrid hissed, pivoting on the grasp and kicking him in the face. He staggered back and in that moment, Hiccup emerged, head down so the peak of his cap shielded his eyes from the harsh fluorescent lights in the garage. Astrid felt the man holding her tense as they all immediately saw him and her eyes shot him the smallest of pleas-but all she saw was her reflection in his shades and she hated herself for the appeal…because there was no sign he had even registered it. The men squared up, her captor holding her hard against his chest as a shield.

"Nothing to see here," the man Astrid had kicked growled, his nose streaming blood. "Just got a present for our Boss." Ignoring his words, Hiccup continue to advance, his eyes locked on the man holding Astrid.

"Let. Her. Go," he growled as the thug holding her frowned.

"You're Night Fury," he realised. "So the assassination threat…was a set-up…"

"And you had to figure that out," the hitman sighed, his pistol snapping up and firing at the same time. The report of two shots echoed round the garage as both men fell, not even having moved. There was a long moment as Astrid stared at him, eyes wide and body motionless-and then she jumped away from the body of the man who had been holding her, turning to glare at the corpse. There was a bullet hole in his forehead.

"You almost hit me!" she snapped, still unnerved from feeling the brush of air from the bullet whiffle past her ear.

"Almost is actually a miss," he pointed out sarcastically. "Thanks for rescuing me, Fury. I was really worried there…"

"I was really worried when you fired at me!" she persisted.

"Thor, I should have let Snotlout come after all," he retorted and she gave a shuddering sigh.

"Ugh. And no," she managed and then walked forward the inspect the tall shape. "Are you okay?" Her voice was softer, more gentle and he inclined his head.

"I'm alive," he told her gruffly, rejecting the sympathy. "Madguts is away…but he'll want to mark his territory with a really class funeral for his men…and that will be our way in…" She stared at him, unnerved. The man had lost his father and all he could do was think of the mission.

"You don't have to…" she tried but he swung his head round to look at her.

"Astrid-it's literally the only thing I have left," he reminded her. "And did you forget? I'm facing a couple of centuries in prison unless I complete the Contract…or if you guess my Horrendous middle name…" She smiled and fell into step alongside him.

"Hmm…I hadn't forgotten the name thing," she murmured as they exited the garage. "Let me see…Horus? Hubert? Halirrhothius?"

"No, no and what the Thor?" Hiccup replied, a tiny smile lifting his lips. "Where on Midgard did you get that?"

"The World List of Worst Boy's Names," she revealed. "W W W absolutelycrapnames dot com." He gave the smallest chuckle.

"They actually have one of those sites?" he asked.

"Check with Toothless," she advised him. "I'm a woman on a mission…"

"And so am I…well, a man on a mission," he amended and shook his head. There was something about working with Astrid that eroded his facade, a familiarity-or maybe a nostalgia-that wormed through his defences and he knew he had to be more careful.

"Hamund? Heardind? Hid?"

"Are these real names or are you just making them up?" he asked her as they vanished into the stairwell.

"Better believe it, Fury," she told him smugly. "Even though I guess your name can't be as bad as some of those."

"Don't bet on it," he corrected her. "I mean, you know my first name…so the bar's set pretty high…or is that low...?" She looked up into his handsome face, still anonymous behind the shades and under the cap and she sighed.

"By the way-thank you for saving my life," she murmured and he paused and looked at her. His reply was softer and there was a definite smile as he continued walking.

"You're welcome," he said.