~~**~~I'm actually kind of sad at this piece...I've waited for this whole story to give Tuffnut his moment to absolutely beat Astrid's face into the ground and now that I've written this I feel like I've let the poor twin down. I don't really like this piece, even less than I like the last piece, so it may be subject to change if I can come up with something better...but, for now, at least Astrid got the shit beat out of her like she deserved. And, it was kind of nice to give Tuffnut his moment in the blood soaked sun lol~~**~~

"Bezerker"

"Take my hand, for I've lost where I've begun..."

"ENOUGH!" Astrid spun, eyes widening as she let out a screech of surprise, her axe managing to swing up in time to block her face from being split open by Tuffnut's blade. He growled, forcing his weight against her weapon, sinking his steel into the wood of her axe even farther, determined to break through it.

"Tuffnut, what are you doing?" Ruffnut started for them, abandoning her hammer in effort to stop the one-sided match faster.

"Stay out of this!" He ripped his blade back, splintering Astrid's handle and sending her staggering back a few steps with the sudden release of pressure. He spun on his heel, swinging smoothly with the motion, Ruffnut managing to duck in time. She jerked forwards, reaching to tackle him in the stomach and onto his back, moving beneath the level of his weapon. He threw his sword to his free hand, connecting his free fist with her jaw for a second time that day. "I said back off!" He watched her hand lift to touch at her swelling lip, turning before his care for her took his new found bloodlust away.

His gaze locked on the confused, and slightly frightened, Astrid. Half a grin jerked the corner of his mouth into a malicious smirk, a red haze slowly winking through his sight as it descended over his vision. He lunged again, bringing his sword up in a high arc as he lept into the air this time, swinging down at a diagonal; this time slicing for her throat. She dropped to a single knee, reinforcing her axe's handle with her free hand this time, blocking his blow once again. "What's WRONG with you?" She cried out, her body jerking with the weight of his strength as he ripped his sword free and jabbed for her exposed stomach.

She tucked and rolled, rolling backwards before righting herself and scrambling to her feet. Tuffnut sucked in frozen breaths of air through his teeth, his lungs and throat searing with the fire of his rage. He could barely hear her over her screams, barely make out her words through the sounds of her bones shattering in his grasp. He swung for her hand, meaning to take it and her weapon off. She finally countered with a swing of her own, deflecting his blade before swinging hers in a sudden back hand, slicing for his knees.

He slid back a step, barely missing the blow, his grin full blown as he watched her rise to her feet and take fighting stance. "What the HELL has gotten knocked loose in there, Tuffnut? What the FUCK is your problem?" He tossed hair out of his eyes, able to feel strands matting in the blood on his temple and across his forehead. His feet shifted anxiously, fingers flexing on his sword before he jerked to her side. She brought her axe down on him in a preemptive strike, he caught it with his shield, the blade snapping the wood in half and slicing into the arm beneath. He roared in pain, spinning and ripping the edge of his blade across her back, sending her shrieking into the ground beneath her.

Tuffnut shook off the remains of his shield, snarling and dropping his sword as well. Astrid whimpered, pushing herself to her knees with a loud sniffle, her body tremoring in pain before she pitched forward again. "Astrid!" Hiccup cried out, running over with an outstretched hand and face full of concern. He froze when Tuffnut twisted a fist into Astrid's hair, ripping her onto her knees again, smirking as she cried out in pain.

"Hiccup you little fuck! HELP ME!" She screamed, clawing blindly at Tuffnut's thick hand behind her head. Hiccup covered his mouth in wide eyed surprise, Ruffnut's own hand following suit, though she seemed the only one who wasn't too surprised by her brother's sudden bloodlust. Tuffnut snapped Astrid's face to his own, forcing her head back so her eyes could meet his own.

"Stop talking to Hicca that way." The words were barely distinguishable, more primal grunts and growls than anything. She sobbed, shaking her head in his grasp before attempting to tear at his hand again. For a moment he lost himself to the thought of ripping her spine out with his bare hands, maybe wrapping it around her throat for good measure. He blinked, realizing she was babbling something.

"Hi-hiccup..." She sobbed, but he shook his head, baring teeth at her as his lip drew back in a snarl.

"Hicca. MY Hicca." She shook her head again, screaming when he smashed her temple against the stones she knelt on. Her body bowed and bent to his force, moving in anyway he commanded, straightening when he tore at her scalp again.

"What are you DOING?" She choked out, sputtering on her own spit and tears as a thin stream of blood trickled down the side of her face, matching them for a moment.

"Putting you in your fucking place," He slammed her forehead into the ground this time, releasing her hair with a tearing rip, gossamer strands following his fingers as he swept to his feet. "Beneath the soul of my boot." He pressed his boot into the side of her face, closing his eyes as he reveled in the beautiful feel of the vibrations her writhing body sent along the length of his own. Her screams and squeals finally matched the pitch and desperation of the ones that had been filling his ears for so long, the pressure of his grind into her skull only serving to take them to a level he had never imagined.

Something struck him broad across the side of his face, knocking him away from his prey and sending him rolling across the pavement. His body stilled, face upturned to the azure colored heavens, breath stilling in his lungs for seconds. His head throbbed long enough for him to register the driving pain, his eyes fluttering against the sun as he felt his body tiredly drop even further against the ground, his fingers twitching in an anxious effort to continue their wanted killing spree. And then, darkness. Silent, blissful, darkness.

Gobber shook his head as he helped Astrid to her feet, checking over his meaty shoulder every now and then to make sure the boy Thorston stayed unconscious and on the ground. Ruffnut had come over and was gathering her twin up, hefting an arm over her shoulders before starting to drag him off, pausing only to kneel and collect his sword.

Hiccup watched Gobber check over Astrid, telling her she would be fine after she got the cut on her back stitched up, that it wouldn't interfere with her training or any battles to come. He watched Ruffnut drag Tuffnut's limp body away, still able to see the tension relentlessly clinging to the boy's muscles, even in unconsciousness. Guiltily he turned his gaze back to Astrid, watching Snotlout take her from Gobber and slowly walk her out of the arena. He looked to the stones beneath his feet and the sword loosely held in his own grasp.

There had been a sick sound when Gobber's hook had once again collided with Tuffnut's head, this time not only striking his unmarred temple, but also his ear and cheekbone. He had made sure the entire hook had basically connected with the boy. Hiccup closed his eyes, dropping the sword with a deafening clatter and covering his eyes with his hands, trying to hide his tears in a habitual way. He didn't realize he was tearing Tuffnut from the inside out like that. He didn't realize the blonde was driving himself mad for him like that. It was all his fault.

There wasn't much of last night that he could remember. He remembered Tuffnut showing up with Ruffnut and avoiding him like it was his job. He remembered being determined to drink himself into oblivion and achieving it. He remembered throwing up to the point he thought he would die. And he remembered conjuring up an imaginary Tuffnut. But, though he was sure he had an outloud conversation with the phantom, he hadn't been able to remember what it was about. He had been trying all morning, battling through the splitting headache he had become owner of in effort to recall the words he was positive the twin had spoken to him.

Now, he wondered if it had been a conjuring at all. Now he wondered what else he was to blame for. Now he wondered what repercussions the twin would face from the village, for attacking Astrid like that. He wondered why the blonde had lashed out in effort to protect him, why he had put himself in so much danger of being banned from the village, for something so small and insignificant as a little name calling. His stomach churned as he paraded these thoughts through his head. One stood apart from the rest like a neon sign, making it too hard to ignore, though he did his best. Eventually though, it screamed at him to the point he wanted to cover his ears.

What would HE do in return for the sacrifice Tuffnut had just made for him? Where would things go from here? Where SHOULD things go from here?